Life as a King
by The Shiny Gengar
Summary: Years after the fall of Team Rocket, Ash finds himself bailing the former mastermind of the organization out of jail. Now, his family must adapt and learn to love the Team Rocket leader: Giovanni. Advanceshipping AaMayL AshxMay
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1: Meet the Ketchums Part 1**

* * *

**A request fic from Beastmode953. He wanted to see Ash as an adult and Giovanni as his father, making him the grandfather of Ash's kids.**

**At first I wasn't very excited about the idea, my train of thought was "Another adult fic?" But as I actually began to develope a plot for this, I got pretty excited, and the story is much longer than I anticipated.**

**So in this story, Ash and May are adults, and married. The rest will be revealed as the story progresses.**

**So here you go Beastmode953, and to everyone else, I hope you enjoy it.**

**I don't own Pokémon.**

* * *

The room was dim, and a musty scent arose as Ash entered. The trainer looked around and found the room appeared to be old and uncared for, cracks in the floor and walls showed that. The room was empty, except for a single table, two chairs sitting across from each other, and a blub hanging from the ceiling. The dimly light bulb seemed like the only thing un-aged in the room, and even it flickered occasionally as the generator giving it power hummed lowly. Ash jumped slightly and turned around to see the officer who had opened the door for him had stepped inside the room as well. He carefully closed the door and locked it up before standing up straight and taking his place guarding in front of the door.

Ash nodded to the man and turned his attention to the table and chairs, or rather, the man sitting in one of the chairs. Ash took a deep breath, and walked forward. He pulled out the other chair and sat down across from the man. The man sitting before him was older, but still appeared to be quite in shape. He sat slumped forward in his chair, head hanging. His eyes studied the grimy floor and his handcuffed wrist hid under the table.

"Why are you here?" The man asked, breaking the eerie silence that had filled the room.

Ash didn't say anything, not quite sure how to answer, so the man continued. "Are you here to mock me? After all these years?" He asked, "Doesn't matter, prison had taught me a thing or two about being insulted."

"That's not true, Dad," Ash said finally, not taking his gaze off the man as he looked up in surprise.

"So you know?" The man asked, although they had aged, his eyes still were as piercing as they were years ago. "You figured out the great Giovanni, leader of the notorious Team Rocket, is your father."

Ash nodded, tightly holding onto the arm rest of the uncomfortable wooden chair he was sitting in. "Indeed," he said, "Mom told me."

Giovanni smiled slightly. "Your mother? Ah, a fine lass she was. How is she?" he said, laying his cuffed hands on the table and leaning forward.

"She's doing fine," Ash answered, not breaking eye contact with Giovanni. "Like you, age is beginning to take its toll."

"Bah, age, blast it," Giovanni griped, leaning back on his chair "A blessing, but a curse, wouldn't you agree?"

Ash nodded.

Giovanni grew silent, but never broke his eye contact with Ash. He drummed his fingers on the table, taking a deep breath. "How's the girl?" he finally asked.

"May?" Ash asked, raising a brow.

Giovanni nodded. "I believe that's was the one," he said, "Brown hair, blue eyes."

Ash smiled slightly at the thought of the girl. "She's good," Ash said, "We're married now."

...

"I guess that's not all that surprising," Giovanni said finally, clearing is throat. "You two had a connection; I saw it on the day you brought me down."

...

"But no hard feelings," Giovanni continued.

Ash smiled sadly, continuing to gaze at his father. "Who knew, that the man I put in jail years ago, was the one I could call 'Dad'."

Giovanni smirked. "Yes, fate has a cruel twist to it," he said.

...

The two remained silent again for several moments. Ash had finally broke eye contact, turning his gaze to the table.

...

"You've changed," Ash said, looking back up at his father, who had turned his gaze to the light bulb dangling above the table.

"Years in prison will do that," Giovanni replied, "Gives you a lot of time to think..."

...

"... And boy, have I done some thinking..."

Ash brow furrowed in confusion. "Thinking about what?" he asked.

Giovanni chuckled slightly and looked down from the light bulb and down at Ash. "My past, my worries... My regrets..."

Ash's face softened a little. "Do you regret what you did?" He asked, "Do you regret the chaos you caused?"

Giovanni smirked again. "Yes," was his reply. His voice echoed off the walls a few times before the room filled with silence yet again.

...

"Why are you here?" Giovanni asked again.

Ash chuckled, adjusting the cap on his head. "You wouldn't believe me if I told you," he said.

"You'd be surprised, Boy," Giovanni replied, a smirk growing on his face.

"Well, the kids have been asking about 'Grandpa'," Ash said, "I thought I'd come in and check on him."

Giovanni's expression turned from amused to surprised. "Kids?" he asked.

Now it was Ash's turn to smirk. "Yeah, three of them, in fact," he said.

Giovanni leaned forward in his seat with interest. "Tell me about them," he requested.

Ash smiled and sighed. "Well, there's Amber, our oldest," Ash began, "She looks a lot like May, brown hair and all, except Mom insist she has my eyes. She's been on her Pokémon journey for a little while now."

"Is she good at it?" Giovanni asked.

Ash smiled and nodded. "Pretty good if I do say so myself," he said, "Then there's Flint, who's just a child and a half of trouble. He's got two years before he can become a trainer, and he's impatiently waiting."

"What does he look like?" Giovanni asked.

Ash studied Giovanni for a moment before responding. "He's got your looks," Ash said, "Except for his eyes are orange."

Giovanni raised a brow. "Orange?" he asked.

Ash nodded. "Yeah, we're not sure where he got them from," he said, "And lastly is Amethyst, who's our youngest."

"I'm seeing a bit of a pattern with these names," Giovanni said.

Ash smiled. "That was May's doing," he said, "Anyways, Amethyst is our little five year old and is very well behaved. She has gorgeous purple eyes, and black hair."

…

Giovanni face grew serious, "Well, it's a shame I'll never see them," he said.

Ash smirked and sat back in his chair. "That's where you're wrong," he said.

Giovanni looked up at him curiously. "What?" he asked.

Ash stood up from his chair and nodded to the officer by the door. "I'm bailing you out," he said.

Giovanni's jaw went a little slack. "What? Why?" He asked, "You were the one who put me in here in the first place."

Ash sighed, "I've got my reasons," he said, "Come on, Dad, don't you want another chance at life?"

Giovanni shook his head. "It's too late now," he said, "I'd never be able to start anew at this age."

Ash motioned for his father to stand up as well. "You don't have to do labor," Ash said, "You'll be living with us."

"What?" He asked in disbelief, eyeing him. "What about May? She couldn't possibly want someone as fiendish as me living under the same roof as her children," he said.

Ash shook his head. "May's fine with it, we've talked this through," He said.

"But-... But... that would-"

"Come on," Ash said, "I've lived my entire life without a Dad. I don't want that to continue."

...

The two remained silent, Ash stood at one end of the table while Giovanni sat at the other. A silent staring contest ensued as Ash patently waited Giovanni's response.

Giovanni smirked and stood up. "Let's go."

* * *

"So tell me," Giovanni began, "Where do you live?"

The two men walked away from the prison Giovanni had spent so many years in. A feeling of freedom drifted in the air. He had retrieved his casual clothes, along with his cane, which he had to use ever since an incident that occurred behind the walls, that once confined him.

Ash, who had to slow his normal pace a little as to not get too ahead of his father, answered with a smirk. "Can't really establish a place," he said, "We're always on the move."

Giovanni raised a brow. "What?" he asked.

Ash took a deep breath, recalling the past. "A long time ago, Scott offered me a position as a Frontier Brain," Ash said, "But at the time, I didn't accept. But now that I'm older and have a family, I decided to take the job."

Giovanni still appeared to be a bit confused. "But you said you're always on the move..."

"Ah, well you see, one of the frontier brains, Brandon, was retiring at the time," Ash explained, "I took his place as the Pyramid King. So I inherited a large, flying pyramid that can go almost anywhere."

Giovanni's brow furrowed as stroked his chin, wondering whether or not Ash was being serious, after all, a flying pyramid seemed a little unrealistic. "Not bad," he said.

"Yeah, May and I still love to travel, so it's perfect," Ash said, "Plus, Brandon gave me a few of his Pokémon, and they're some serious powerhouses."

Giovanni let out a cough. "Em, how far away is this 'Battle Pyramid'?" he asked.

Ash gestured for him to continue, readjusting his cap. "Not far, we'll get there really soon."

They approached the outskirts of town, where the Battle Pyramid came into view. Giovanni looked up at the massive structure. "This is yours?" he asked.

Ash shrugged. "For the most part," he said, "As long as I play my role as the Pyramid King, my family and I get to live in it." He smiled and wrapped an arm around his father's shoulders. "That includes you now too."

Giovanni shrugged Ash's arm off of him, causing the trainer to pause. "What's wrong?" he asked.

Giovanni shook his head. "Boy, I've been in prison for a couple decades now," he said, "I'm not used to affection."

Ash frowned but shrugged it off.

_"Pika pi!"_

Ash looked in the direction of the Battle Pyramid and saw a familiar yellow rodent running to him. The Pokémon raced up to him before climbing up his pant leg and to his shoulder. "Hey there, bud," Ash said, scratching Pikachu behind the ears, causing the Pokémon to coo. Ash turned to Giovanni and gestured to Pikachu. "I'm sure you remember Pikachu, right?" he asked.

Giovanni nodded slightly as he looked at the yellow electric type that was perched on Ash's shoulder. He appeared to be a bit older and had grown a bit larger since he had last seen him, but it looked like he hadn't battled in a while, as his fur was clean and not at all disturbed, and he didn't appear to have any battle wounds.

"Ah yes," Giovanni said, smirking at the Pikachu. "Your old friend..."

"Pikachu, say hi to my dad," Ash said, gesturing to Giovanni.

"Pi Pikachu!" Pikachu said cheerfully, waving to the older man. Ash had told him before he left that he had to treat Giovanni with love and kindness, even if he had been their old arch nemesis.

"Shall we continue?" Giovanni asked, his legs were beginning to grow tired. Ash nodded and the two began to walk towards the Battle Pyramid once again.

* * *

"Mom! Tell Flint to stop making faces at me!" A squeaky, but upset voice said.

May sighed and glanced over her shoulder at the two children sitting at the table. One was a young girl, young and innocent, her adorably chubby face would make even the coldest heart melt. Her purple eyes sparkled like diamonds, and her black hair was tied back in a single ponytail, in her hair sat a purple bow that matched her eyes.

"What? I wasn't doing anything!"

The other child was a few years older than the girl. His orange eyes burned with determination and mischief, and like his father, he had messy black hair.

"Flint, quit annoying Amy," May said, turning her attention back to the food she was cooking. The young girl had indeed been named Amethyst, but over time, Ash began to call her Amy, and so began the trend.

At the moment, the three were sitting in the kitchen of the Battle Pyramid, awaiting Ash's return. May was keeping herself occupied by cooking food while the siblings bickered.

Flint pouted and folded his arms across his chest. "Hmph," he grumbled, "I liked you better back before you could talk." He told his sister.

"Hey!" Amy shouted, "Watch your mouth!"

She also had the tendency to pick up on things her mother and father said. "Amy, I told you not to talk to your brother that way," May said.

"Yeeeaaahhh," Flint taunted in a teasing manner.

"Watch your mouth, Flint," May said menacingly. Twisting around and sending a glare to her son, causing him to back off.

"Hey, look!" Amy exclaimed, pointing out the window. May glanced outside and saw her husband, his Pikachu, and another man walking up to the battle pyramid.

"Alright! Dad's back!" Flint exclaimed excitedly. He jumped up from his seat and dashed out of the room with his sister.

May sighed and untied the apron around her waist. She pulled out a Pokéball and sent out her fire starter.

"Blaze!" Blaziken exclaimed as she appeared. Like Pikachu, Blaziken had aged a bit, growing even larger than she had already been.

"Make sure nothing burns or catches on fire," May said, gesturing to the stove, "If it does, you have Blastoise." She pulled out another Pokéball and set it on the counter.

Blaziken nodded to the command. May kissed her Pokémon on the cheek in thanks and stepped out of the kitchen as well.

When she reached the halls, she broke into a run; age hadn't taken away her energy and beauty, at least not yet. She ran down the halls to the main entrance to the Battle Pyramid, which had already been opened.

She stepped outside, smiling as the cool breeze tickled her skin, she had always loved the weather in Johto, it wasn't extremely hot like Hoenn, or frigid cold like Sinnoh.

"Daddy!" Amy exclaimed as she ran up to her father, hugging one of his legs tightly, Ash bent over and hugged her back. Once she noticed the stranger standing next to him, she averted her gaze to the ground and hid behind her father.

Flint just stared at the man, unwilling to draw near him. Ash grinned as May approached him, he handed Pikachu to Amy, who hugged the Pokémon with a squeal. Pikachu smiled and rubbed his cheek up against hers.

May embraced her husband as they reached each other. Ash hugged her back, kissing her forehead before letting her go and introducing her to Giovanni.

"May, you remember my father, Giovanni, don't you?" Ash asked.

May smiled sheepishly. "All too well," she said. Yes, she had met Giovanni before, in fact, she had been there with Ash when they defeated him and brought down Team Rocket once and for all.

"Ah, well, hopefully we'll all put those days behind us," Giovanni said, May almost wanted to retreat and hide behind Ash along with Amy as the old man's piercing eyes examined her from top to bottom.

"Yes..." May said nervously, "Um, it's a pleasure to meet you... Again, of course."

The two bowed slightly to each other before Flint stepped up. "Wait, that's Dad's dad?" he asked, "So that means he's our grandpa?"

Ash and May nodded.

...

**"AAAAHHHH!" **Flint screamed, holding onto his head and running away back into the Battle Pyramid.

...

"You're right, he does look like a young me," Giovanni said.

Ash patted Giovanni shoulders. "Don't worry, he'll warm up to you," he turned around and looked at Amethyst, who was still holding Pikachu. "And so will Amy, just give them some time."

* * *

"This is your room," Ash said, standing in the middle of a large, but homey bedroom. A king sized bed was set towards the center of the room, up against the wall. Across from it was a large dresser and a flat screen TV which hung from the wall.

"The walk-in closet is over there," Ash said, pointing to one door, "And your bathroom is over there." he pointed to another door. "Make yourself at home and freshen up, dinner will be ready soon."

Giovanni, who had been looking about the room, nodded. Ash and Pikachu smiled and left, stepping out of the room and down the hall towards the kitchen. "Let's go see what May is up to," Ash told Pikachu, they stepped into the kitchen and found May standing before the stove, stirring a pot with a large wooden spoon. Ash walked up behind her and tapped her left shoulder, distracting her to allow him to grab an apple from the fruit bowl to her right.

May jumped slightly and took the bait, looking to her left, seeing nothing was there, and glancing to her right, but by then, Ash had already grabbed an apple and was biting into it.

"You really need to stop falling for that trick," Ash told her with a smirk.

May let out an annoyed huff and put her hands on her hips. "You're going to ruin your appetite," She huffed.

Ash gave her a knowing look. "Okay, knowing you, probably not... But still-!" She said.

Ash chuckled and took another bite of his apple. May's glare made it obvious that it annoyed her. "What do you want me to do?" he asked, "Throw it in the trash?"

May sighed and took the apple from Ash, taking a bite out of it herself.

"H-hey!" Ash stammered, reaching out get his apple back.

May handed the apple back to Ash. "There, now we're even," she said with a smirk.

"You're going to ruin your appetite."

"Oh, shut up."

* * *

The table had been set, the food had been laid out, and everyone was eating. But everyone remained fairly quiet, stealing occasional glances at Giovanni, who silently ate as well.

"So..." May said, letting out a slight cough, she was tired of the awkward silence and clinking of silverware. "Do you like your room?" She asked.

Giovanni took up from his plate and grabbed a napkin, dabbing his mouth clean and clearing his throat. "Yes, very... Homey..." was his answer.

"I'll show you around some more, after dinner," Ash said before sticking food in his mouth, "We have a lot of space."

...

...

...

"So where did you used to live?" Flint asked Giovanni from across the table. "Why have I never gotten to see you before?" Ash and May exchanged glances, they hadn't told any of their children about Giovanni's past.

"Well," Giovanni putting down his silverware, his gaze aimed upward and he slowly rubbed his hands together, he appeared to be thinking. "I'm a retired spy."

Ash's eyes widened and May raised a brow, but both decided to not to anything.

"A spy?" Amy asked, "Like in the movies?"

"Ah yes," Giovanni said, "It was my duty to take out evil, and save the world."

"Coooooooool," Flint said with a wide smile, "Can you tell us some spy stories?"

"Ah, no, that's all classified," Giovanni said.

"Aw... Poop," Flint said with a disappointed frown.

"Flint! I've told you a hundred times not to say that!" May said. Flint was quick to apologize.

"Have you ever tasered anybody?" Amy asked with a big grin on her face. May stole a glare at Ash, who noticed and began to whistle innocently; she knew she shouldn't have let Amy watch those TV shows that Ash enjoyed.

"Oh yes, many times," Giovanni said coolly, taking another bite out of his food.

"Does it hurt them?" Amy asked.

...

"Um... Yes..." Giovanni said.

Amy's eyes sparkled, her smile grew and she threw her hands into the air. "Cool!" she said. May stole another glare at Ash, who was now sinking in his seat.

"Do they fall to the ground and wiggle around all crazy like they do on TV?" Flint asked.

Giovanni smirked and nodded. "Just like on television," he said.

"You know, I think I'm going to go for a quick walk," Ash said, standing up to leave, he could feel May glaring daggers at him.

"Oh, don't think you're getting away that easily, Ash Ketchum!" May said, standing up and chasing after him.

"Oh snap," Ash said as he saw May running after him as he hurried down the hall, and broke into a run.

"Ash Ketchum, you have a challenger," a robotic voice said, causing Ash and May to freeze. "Please head outside to greet him."

Ash smirked as he walked by May. "Won't get me today," he said. May swung her arm and smacked him.

* * *

"This battle will be a one on one battle between Ash Ketchum, the Pyramid King, and Jordan, from Celadon City..." The robotic voice said through the speakers, its feminine voice echoing about the room.

Ash stood on one side of the familiar battle field while his opponent, a Pokénerd named Jordan stood on the opposite side.

May, Flint, Amy, and Giovanni sat in the bleachers on one side of the room while Jordan's friends sat on the other, Pikachu was happily snuggled into Amy's lap. The group wasn't very talkative, and Jordan wanted to get straight to business.

"The last Pokémon standing wins," the robotic voice said.

Giovanni looked around the room. "What is that voice?" he asked.

"Oh that?" May replied, "That's the computer system that runs the Battle Pyramid, we call it Chatot, but Amber, our daughter who's currently on her Pokémon journey, likes to call it Shatup."

Giovanni smirked and nodded. But down below on the field, Ash and Jordan had both pulled out their Pokéballs.

"Go! Feraligatr!" Jordyn shouted as he tossed out his Pokéball.

"You too, Regirock!" Ash shouted, calling out his Pokémon as well.

"Regirock?" Giovanni asked in disbelief, "How did he get his hands on that!"

Flint smiled pridefully as he recalled the event. "Brandon gave it to Dad along with Registeel and Regice when he retired," he boasted. "Dad told us that when he retired, each of us would get either Regirock, Registeel, or Regice."

Amy giggled and smiled. "I hope I get Regice," she said, "It's cool."

Flint shook his head madly. "Nuh uh! Registeel is the coolest!"

"Regice!"

"Registeel!"

"Regice!"

"Registeel!"

"Stop it! Both of you!" May insisted, "Or I'll send you out of the arena and you'll miss your father's battle!"

Both children gasped and covered their mouths, Giovanni chuckled in amusement.

"Alright, Feraligatr, use Water Gun!" Jordan shouted.

"Regirock, dance!" Ash exclaimed. Regirock twirled in a circle and spun out of the way of the water gun, and continued to do so until the attack stopped.

"Hydro Pump!" Jordan shouted. Feraligatr threw his head back and blasted a powerful stream of water at Regirock.

"Block it!" Ash shouted, Regirock crossed its arms in front of itself in an "X" formation and completely blocked the powerful Hydro Pump from striking it. Regirock had planted its feet firmly in the ground, but even then, the force of the attack pushed it backwards a little.

"Oh man, that's a strong Feraligatr," Flint said as he studied the water type Pokémon. "Maybe this battle will actually be a challenge for Dad."

"No! Dad can beat anybody!" Amy exclaimed, "Right, Pikachu?"

"Pika pika!" Pikachu agreed with a firm nod.

"Rrr, Feraligatr, use an attack it can't block!" Jordan said, planting his feet into the ground, "Surf!"

The ground began to rumble, and with a blast, water shot from the ground, creating a huge tidal wave that Feraligatr was riding on.

"Iron Defense!" Ash shouted, barely able to overpower the rumbling of the huge wave.

In a flash, Regirock put up Iron Defense, and just before being struck by the wave. "Yes!" Jordan said, "Nothing could possibly withstand Feraligatr's Surf attack!"

But when the water settled, Regirock was still standing and was barely scratched. "W-what?" Jordan exclaimed.

"You're forgetting you're dealing with a legendary Pokémon," Ash said, "You underestimate its abilities, and that will cost you. Regirock, Lock On!"

Regirock's eyes began to glow, and a little red target appeared on Feraligatr's head. "Now use Zap Cannon!"

"Look out!" Jordan exclaimed.

Regirock charged up a powerful ball of electricity and fired an ultra powerful beam on electricity at Feraligatr. The water type jumped up into the air to dodge, but the beam U turned and hit it anyways.

"When will trainers ever learn?" Flint asked.

"Yeah, everyone knows once a Pokémon has use Lock On, it's impossible for it to miss," Amy said. For a small girl, she was quite intelligent when it came to battling, she could thank Ash for that.

"Alright! Finish this up with a Hyper Beam!" Ash exclaimed. Regirock charged up the attack and fired a powerful pillar of light at Feraligatr, causing it to cry out in pain. With a final explosion, the Hyper Beam was turned off and Feraligatr could be seen laying on the ground unconscious.

"Feraligatr is unable to battle," Chatot said, "The winner is Ash Ketchum, the Pyramid King."

"Alright, Daddy!" Amy squealed happily.

Ash casually returned Regirock while Jordan ran to his fallen Pokémon. "Nice try, kid," Ash said, turning around to leave, "Better luck next time."

"That was a fast battle," Giovanni said folding his arm in front of him.

"Nah, they're all like that," Flint said, "Dad is able to dominate anyone with those Pokémon."

Everybody got up to leave, Amy and Flint cringed at that the sound of their mother's voice. "Alright you two," she said, "It's time for bed."

"Aww," Flint moaned, "I don't wanna!"

May shook her head and rolled her eyes, putting her hands on her hips. "Has that stopped you before?" she asked. "Now scoot, I don't want to have to tell you twice." Heads hanging low, Flint and Amy walked off to get ready for bed. May let out a satisfied sigh and walked over to the dining room to clean up the mess left by the meal. She stuck the silverware and plates in the dishwasher and began to scrub one of the cooking spots she used earlier, until she heard a cough from behind her.

She turned around and saw Ash standing a few feet behind her. "Um... Listen... I just want to apologize," he began, scratching the back of his head, "I've not been very respectful to you lately, and I feel really bad about it."

May smiled and dried off her hands with a nearby towel. She walked up to Ash, and slapped him across the cheek again.

"Ow!" Ash groaned.

May reached out and slid her arms under his, wrapping around him until her hands touched on his back. "I forgive you," she said, laying her head on his chest. Ash smiled and hugged her in return, laying his head on hers.

"It's getting to me," Ash said, hugging May and little tighter, "It's feels like it's eating away at me."

"It'll be okay," May whispered, rubbing Ash's back, "We'll figure this out."

Ash took a deep breath and sighed. "I hope so..."

They held onto each other for another minute, before Ash smiled sadly and let go of May. "Sorry for slapping you," she apologized.

"It's fine."

* * *

May lifted up the covers up at the end of Amy's bed, drawing them up over the girl. The little girl smiled as she snuggled under the covers with Pikachu.

"What story do you want me to tell you tonight?" May asked, sitting down on the bed beside her.

Amy exchanged glances with Pikachu. "Tell us about the time you and Dad first met," she asked, it was a common request, but May enjoyed telling the story, none the less.

"Well, way back in Hoenn, when I was just ten years old, I went to go see Professor Birch at his lab to go get my starter," May began.

"But he wasn't there, right?" Amy asked, she knew the story by heart.

"That's right," May said, tapping Amy's nose, causing the girl to giggle. "So I went to go find Professor Birch, I rode off on my bike to go find him. And do you know where he was?"

Amy giggled and nodded. "Up in a tree!"

May laughed and nodded. "Yep, running away from some Poochyena," She said, "Up in the tree like a scared little baby."

Amy giggled again. "And when I found him, he told me to get a Pokéball from his bag and to fight off the Poochyena," May said, "So I pulled out a Pokéball and sent out Torchic, and used her to scare away the Poochyena."

Amy's brow furrowed. "Mommy, I have a question," she said, "When Daddy told me the story, he said you sent out a Mudkip, and that it shot a Water Gun in your face."

May sweat dropped and shook her head. "You're father wasn't there, he isn't telling it right," she said.

"Oh," Amy said.

"Anyways, after I saved Professor Birch, we found Ash, who was trying to get an overcharged Pikachu under control," she said, ruffling Pikachu's fur on his forehead.

"In an act of nobleness, but foolishness, Ash jumped off a cliff, diving after Pikachu after he had jumped off too," May said, "He clung for his life onto the cliff while holding onto Pikachu. Luckily, Professor Birch and I used a rope to pull him back up."

"And that's when Team Rocket attacked," Amy said.

"Mhmm," May said with a nod, "They snatched up Pikachu, and began to absorb his electricity."

"And then he got all better," Amy said, smiling down at Pikachu.

"Yes, and in the process, he fried my bike," May said, sending a playful glare in Pikachu's direction. "After we beat Team Rocket, we headed back to Professor Birch's lab, where I picked my trusty Torchic to be my starter. That's when I met Ash more formally."

May closed her eyes and sighed, "Those were the days," she sighed dreamily. She smiled and kissed Amy and Pikachu on the heads. "Sweet dreams," May said, getting up from the bed and walking over to the door. She gave the two one final smile before turning off the light and closing the door.

She walked down the hall and approached another door. She opened it up to find Ash and Giovanni relaxing inside. Like a lot of the pyramid, the room had a homey feel to it, featuring a large fire place. Along the walls were several bookshelves, and in the center of the room was a large, soft, rug. Ash sat on one end of a love seat, while Giovanni sat across from him in a recliner.

May smiled and sat down on the love seat next to Ash, leaning on him and laying her head on his shoulder. "What are you two talking about?" She asked.

"Your husband was just telling me about his achievements," Giovanni said, he held a pose that made him look a bit menacing. He had his foot resting on his knee, his elbows resting on the arm rest, and his hands together, fingers intertwined. The smirk on his face and the gleam in his eye added to the pose. It sent a shiver down May's spine, but she chose to shrug it off.

"Winning the Pokémon League, an impressive feat indeed," he said, gesturing to the trophy perched on the mantle above the fire place. "Not to mention he hasn't suffered a single loss since he took the job as the Pyramid King."

Ash smiled and scratched May's forehead. "May's done some pretty cool things too, she won the Grand Festival and became a Top Coordinator," he said, "She's really good at it." His comments caused May to blush.

Giovanni let out a yawn and shook his head. "I'm feeling a bit tired," he said, "I think I'll head off to bed." With that, he stood up from the recliner, Ash and May stood up as well, and the three walked out of the room.

* * *

"I just don't get it," Ash said sadly, "This didn't work either."

May was changing into her pajamas in the closet while Ash sat at the edge of the large bed that sat in the middle of the room, similar the Giovanni's.

"It's only day one, give it some time," May said as she slid into her pajama pants. "You can't expect it to work immediately."

Ash shrugged, "Maybe not," he said, "But I still can't stand this."

For a while now, Ash had had been suffering from a depression, and not just a short phase, he had been feeling it for several months. He could hide it, but he couldn't stop it. He and May had tried several things to get rid of it, including bailing Giovanni out of prison, but nothing seemed to be working. May stepped into the bedroom with her pajamas on and walked over to Ash, laying down on the bed next to him.

"Just give it time," May said.

Ash sighed and rubbed his face with both his hands. "I'm tired of waiting," he said, "I'm sick of this..."

May gazed at the ceiling, thinking for a little bit. "We need something to take your mind off of it," May said, "Something that will keep you busy."

Ash frowned, "Like what?"

May thought for a minute, furrowing her brow. "Hm... Something that will take your mind off things..." she said, suddenly, her face brightened and smile grew across her face. "I got it!"

* * *

**End of chapter one.**

**Up next: Meet the Ketchums Part 2**

**With that, I have completed one of my goals on Fanfiction, which was taking a fic request from someone. So thanks Beastmode953, and the time for your story will come Tbroome. To check out my other goals, head over to my profile page, maybe it'll give you an idea of what I plan on doing in the future.**

******And one more thing... A few people have talked about collaborations that they are doing or want to do... And that got me thinking about doing one myself...**

**I actually already have an idea of a plot that I would like to do, and how it would work out. But obviously I need someone to collaborate with. If you would be interested in doing it with me, you need to consider a few things. First, should like both Advanceshipping and Pearlshipping, you need to be able to write decently length chapters (Aka, 4k - 6k words), and I'll say you'll have to have written a minimum of 20k words on the site in general.**

**So if you meet those qualifications and are interested, shoot me a PM, time isn't a super big issue, we can write this at any pace.**

**Don't forget to leave a review, what do you think about the story thus far? And what do you think will happen next?**

**The Shiny Gengar**


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2: Meet the Ketchums Part 2**

* * *

**As beastmode953 pointed out, this story actually achieves two goals... One which I completely had forgotten about... I must be getting old.**

* * *

It was the average early morning, the sun was gradually rising over the hills and the tree tops. The bird Pokémon were awaking, stirring the before still air. The Sentrets and Ratattas were beginning to scurry about, hopping around in the wet, dewy grass.

May's internal clock kicked in, and she began to stir. She rolled onto her back and blindly reached out, feeling for Ash on his side on the bed. When all she grabbed was air and cool sheets, she opened an eye and glanced at the spot where she normally found him laying when she woke up. But this morning he wasn't there, May yawned, figuring Ash just got up early. She kicked off her sheets and swung her legs over the edge of the large bed she and Ash shared. She blinked several times, clearing her vision, and stood up, taking a nice long stretch. She glanced in the mirror, checking her hair. Luckily, unlike Dawn, she didn't get a bed head when she woke up in the morning. Her hair was typically presentable in the morning, so she decided to just think about fixing it later.

She stepped into her slippers and stepped out into the hall. She glanced in both directions before tip toeing down the hall. She walked over to Giovanni's new room and put her ear up to the door. On the other side, she could hear a muffled snoring, she smiled to herself and backed away from the door. She began to walk down the hall when she spoke.

"Chatot," She began, as she walked "Find Ash for me."

"Locating Ash," Chatot replied. May patently waited for an answer as Chatot searched the facility. "Ash is on the first floor, Sector B, in the engine room," Was its reply.

"Thanks, Chatot," May said politely to the unseen robot before picking up the pace a little. She reached the stairs and began her journey downward, skipping every other step. She reached the bottom and began to jog down another hall until she reached Sector B. She slowed down to a walk until she reached the door labeled "Engine 2 Room". She grabbed the doorknob and turned it, giving the door a light shove to open it up.

The first thing she noticed was the strong scent of oil and gasoline. May typically stayed out of the engine rooms for that reason, she hated to smell. She decided to suck it up and deal with it anyways. She saw Ash, fully dressed, walking around and inspecting the engines.

As she walked over to him she could help but let out a yawn, causing him to turn to look at her. "Morning," He said as May smiled and lazily hugged him. He smiled and wrapped an arm around her shoulder. "Did you sleep well?" he asked.

"Mhmm," May moaned, laying her head on his shoulder. "How about you?"

"No, not really," Ash said, now letting out a yawn of his own, "Depression doesn't help me sleep."

May glanced at the large engine she and Ash stood by. "Is everything ready?" she asked, not letting go of Ash.

"Yup," Ash said, "Looks like it."

May smiled. "That's good," she said, "Are you excited?"

Ash shrugged. "Yeah, I guess," He said, "If anything, it'll take my mind off things."

May looked up at him. "That's what we wanted, right?" she asked.

Ash nodded, "Right."

* * *

There was nothing more arousing than the sizzling and smell of bacon. Ash smiled and took a deep breath, enjoying the scent that filled the kitchen. He could literally sit in the kitchen for no other reason than to smell bacon.

"Ash, please try to not drool on the bacon," May said, playfully shoving his head away from its spot over the frying pan. Ash sighed; he could almost taste the bacon in his mouth.

"Just a piece?" Ash asked.

"No, you'll wait like everyone else," she said.

"Hey, I'm the head of this house, I can do what I want," he said, furrowing his brow.

"Oh really?" May asked, "A man may be the head of the house, but his wife is the neck that turns it."

Ash leaned against the counter, crossing his arms over his chest. "Yeah, well right now, my 'neck' is pointing my head in the direction of bacon," he said.

May reached out and turned Ash's head ninety degrees counterclockwise. "There, all better," she said with a giggle, "Now stop distracting me, I might burn the bacon."

"Oh that would be a nightmare," Ash said, stepping out of the kitchen. He walked into the dining room and sat down at the table, messing around with a spoon.

He jumped when he felt something touch his leg. He looked down and saw a drowsy Amy trying to climb up into his lap. He scooted his chair back a little and reached out, lifting her up onto his lap. She yawned and leaned against him.

"Hey, where's your bow?" he asked, noticing the purple bow that normally sat on the side of her head was missing.

"I let Pikachu wear it," Amy said casually.

Ash raised a brow, Pikachu hated wearing bows, when would Amy ever learn that? He glanced at the doorway that lead into the hall and saw an annoyed Pikachu scurry into the room.

"Pika pikachu, pi!" Pikachu squealed unhappily, trying to reach the purple bow that had been placed on his back, just out of his reach.

"Come on, Amy, you know Pikachu hates bows," Ash said as he took the bow out of Pikachu's fur and put it back in Amy's hair were it belonged.

"But he looks so cute with it," she said, Pikachu shook his head, not agreeing with her sentence at all.

Ash just sighed, shaking his head. His attention turned back to the entrance to the hall and saw Giovanni stepping into the room, the older man had his cane in hand and was fully dressed.

"Morning, Grandpa," Amy said with a cheeky grin.

"Good morning... a... Erm..." Giovanni said, seeming at a loss for words. Ash mouthed her name. "Amy," Giovanni said, sitting down at the table across from Ash.

"Did you sleep well?" Ash asked, beginning to bounce the knee Amy was sitting on.

Giovanni nodded. "Oh yes, that's a very nice bed," Giovanni said, setting his cane down next to his seat, "Haven't slept that well in years."

Amy tilted her head. "Why not?" She asked, "Did you have a bad bed when you were a spy?"

Giovanni smiled gently and nodded. "Oh yes, very bad, it had more lumps than I could count," he said.

"Oh... That's sucks," Amy said, Ash quickly covered her mouth.

"Shh, if Mom hears you say that, I'll never hear the end of it," he said.

"That _stinks_," Amy corrected herself. May was **very **strict when it came to language. The fact that the Amy and Flint liked watching television with Ash didn't help though.

"Chatot," Ash began, drumming his fingers on the table, "Could you wake up Flint and tell him to come to breakfast?"

"Attempting to wake up Flint," Chatot said from somewhere.

...

"I bet Flint isn't listening," Amy said with a sigh.

"Flint is resisting," Chatot answered, Amy smiled proudly at her correct prediction.

"Use wakeup call two," Ash said plainly, flicking a small crumb off the table.

"Using Wakeup Call 2," Chatot said. A loud shout and thud could be heard down the hall, causing Giovanni to jump a little.

"Flint is up," Chatot said.

Ash smiled and exchanged glances with Amy. "Thank you, Chatot," he said.

A few seconds later, a half conscious Flint stumbled into the room, walking into the doorframe before tiredly stumbling to the table and falling into the chair.

"Sleep well, Flint?" Ash asked.

"Yeah, it was going great until my bed flipped upside-down onto the ceiling," he grumbled grumpily. Amy and Pikachu giggled while Giovanni raised a brow in surprise.

At the moment, May stepped into the dining room, a large pan of bacon in one hand and a large pan of eggs in the other. "Good morning, you guys," May said, setting down the pans. Ash's mouth began to water all over again as the scent of bacon swept the room. May smiled and put some eggs and bacon of a plate before sliding it in front of Ash.

Amy and Pikachu got off of Ash's lap, taking their seats at the table. May proceeded to serve everyone else food.

"While I have you guys all here, I have an announcement to make," Ash said, "Last night, your mother suggested we go on a bit of a road trip, and go visit some old friends."

"Really?" Amy asked excitedly, "Will we get to see Grandma?"

Ash nodded. "Yes, in fact, Pallet Town is our first stop," he said He glanced over Giovanni, who did not look too pleased to hear the news, May noticed this as well.

"Will we be seeing the Oaks too?" Flint asked.

Ash nodded. "Mhmm," he grunted.

"Sweet!" Flint said, pumping his fist. "I'll get to see Brooke!"

* * *

"And that, my boy, is the game," Giovanni said, picking up a red chip and moving it over in a hopping motion over Flint's black chip.

"What?" Flint exclaimed, eyes widening.

Amy giggled, "Grandpa beat you at Checkers," she answered. The three were sitting in Flint's room, around a table, a game of checkers had been laid out, and Flint's bed was still upside-down on the ceiling.

"I see that," Flint grumbled, rubbing his left arm with his right hand.

"Don't fret, Flint," Giovanni said, "I'll teach you how to become a master at this game."

Flint's eyes widened. "R-really?" He asked in disbelief, a smile growing on his face, "Awesome!"

A smile grew on May's face as she leaned against the wall next to the doorway into Flint's room. Although she was out of sight, she could still hear them. She moved from her place and began to walk down the hall. She went up the stairs reaching the fifth level of the pyramid. She made her way the command center, finding Ash sitting in a large pilot's chair with his feet resting on the command board, Pikachu was resting in Ash's lap, his head being scratched by his trainer.

"Chatot, set course to Pallet Town, Kanto," he said.

"Setting course..." Chatot said, the large windshield began to light up as a map appeared and a path was being drawn out. May stepped into the room and walked over to Ash.

"How long until we leave?" She asked, standing next to Ash.

Ash glanced at the screen. "Thirty seconds," he said.

"Oh wow, Chatot, you're getting fast," May said.

"Thank you, May, my recent update is responsible for that," Chatot replied.

"You should probably grab onto something," Ash said. May reached out and grabbed the seat he was in. The whole pyramid began to vibrate as the engines popped out of the bottom corners of the pyramid. The whole facility jolted around for a few seconds as the large aircraft rose into the air; the propellers began to whirl and blew gusts of wind around crazily, causing a ruckus outside.

"Gaining altitude," Chatot said, the pyramid rose above the trees, "We have reached the required altitude, proceeding to Pallet Town, Kanto."

The pyramid began to move forward, heading towards Ash's hometown. "So your father is playing Checkers with the kids," May said, "They all seem to be getting along really well."

Ash nodded with a small smile. "That's good to hear," he said, "I knew they would come around."

"But I'm worried too," May said, "Giovanni didn't seem too pleased about heading to Pallet Town."

Ash frowned. "He and my mom didn't part on particularly 'Good terms' last time they saw each other," he said, "He probably isn't looking forward to having to encounter her again."

May furrowed her brow. "Do you think it'll work out?" she asked.

Ash shrugged, his eyes wandering over the screen before him. "Mom would kill me if she found out we went on a road trip and we didn't visit though," he said.

May nodded in agreement, a smirk growing on her face. "Have you told her about him yet?"

...

"_Ash_..." May said in a knowing manner, "You need to tell her." She said.

Ash glanced up at her, blinking a few times. He took a deep breath and took off his cap, running his hand through his hair. "Yuck," he groaned, "That isn't any fun..."

"You can't just not tell her," she said, giving him a knowing smile, "Look, just call her up; I'll be right here with you."

...

Ash took a deep breath, "Kay..." he groaned, "Chatot, call Mom."

"Calling: Delia Ketchum," Chatot said, a sound bar appeared on the large screen, and a ringing could be heard throughout the room. May picked up Pikachu and sat down on Ash's left leg, cradling the mouse in her arms.

"Hello? Ash?" Delia's face appeared on the screen. She appeared to be surprised, but pleased, "Have you arrived yet?" they saw her glance out the window, "I don't see the pyramid outside."

Ash shook his head and averted his gaze from the screen. "Um, no, I wanted to tell you something really quick," he said.

Delia smiled and nodded. "Okay, shoot," she said.

Ash scratched his head. "Um... You know how you recently told me who my dad was?" he asked.

Delia frowned a bit. "Yeah..." she said slowly, growing suspicious.

"Well... Heh... I kinda um... Bailed him out of jail..."

...

...

...

May gently grabbed Ash's hand, squeezing it and winking at him. "You what?" Delia asked, she looked confused and worried.

"I bailed Dad out of jail..." Ash repeated.

Delia let out a long sigh, and began to run her scalp with her fingers. "I tell you who your father is... And you bail him out of jail..." she grumbled, "Why am I not surprised."

"Um, it gets worse..." Ash said, taking in another deep breath, "He's here with us, and he coming with us to visit you."

...

...

...

"Mom?" Ash asked, he couldn't read her expression anymore.

"He's coming here?" Mrs. Ketchum asked worriedly, pointing to the ground.

"Yeah..." Ash said, scratching the back of his head, "You know... Bonding time..."

"Bonding time?" Delia asked, growing angry "You know what he did to me! I told you! I've told you so many times! And now you're bringing him here?"

"Mom, take a chill pill," Ash said, holding his hands up, "He's had a heart change."

"Heart change?" Delia shouted, "That doesn't change how he treated me!"

May's eyes widened, Mrs. Ketchum was ticked. She hadn't expected her to act this way. "Mom, just give him a chance," Ash tried to say.

"I've given him his chance!" She exclaimed, "I gave him so many chances!"

"Mom, please calm down," Ash said calmly, "Just try."

...

Delia took a deep breath, and let out a long sigh. "Why'd you have to go off and do this, Ash?" she asked.

Ash and May exchanged glanced, they hadn't told his mother about his depression yet. "I'll tell you when we get there, okay?" Ash told her.

Delia took another deep breath. "Okay..." she groaned, "See. You later, then..."

"See ya, Mom," Ash said, and he disconnected. Ash breathed a long sigh; May smiled gently and rubbed her husband's back.

...

"I'd say it went quite well," Chatot said.

"Oh be quiet," Ash grumbled, rubbing his scalp. "This was a bad idea."

May frowned and shook her head. "No, Ash, just give it some time, you need this," she said.

"Ugh!" Ash grunted loudly, "Who's idea was it to bail Dad out anyways!"

May sweat dropped. "Um. Yours." Her expression turned to curiosity, "So, what did Giovanni do to make your mother so angry?"

Ash sighed and sat back in his seat. "He mistreated her," he said, "Used her..."

May raised a brow.

"I was one of those _'Go make me a sandwich_' kind of relationships."

* * *

"This is a bad idea," Giovanni said. The pyramid had landed and the Ketchum residence was in sight. "Maybe I should just stay here..."

"Come on, Grandpa!" Amy pouted, "You should meet Grandma, she's a very nice lady!"

Giovanni cringed. "Yes well... She might not like me." He said.

"Don't be silly," Amy said, grabbing his hand and tugging at it. "Grandma loves everybody!"

Giovanni grinned and looked down at the girl. "I'm sure she's a fine woman..." he said, "... She always was..."

"Come on," Flint said, "You were a spy! You're not afraid of anything..."

Giovanni frowned. "Yes... I guess you're right..."

"Okay then let's go!" Amy said, pulling Giovanni towards the house. Ash and May exchanged glances as they watched. They followed Amy, Flint, and Giovanni to Delia's house, and Amy eagerly rang the doorbell. Ash glanced at Giovanni, and noticed the man looked about ready to make a run for it if necessary.

The doorknob jiggled and the door opened. Delia stood at the door, a fake smile plastered across her face. Although she had aged a bit, she still had her red hair, and her skin was as smooth as a baby's.

"Hello, Delia," Giovanni said, he was gripping his cane so tightly, his knuckles where white.

"Hello, Giovanni," she said flatly, she didn't sound the least bit happy to see him.

"You two know each other?" Amy asked in awe, jaw dropping.

"Of course they do," Flint said, "They're our grandma and grandpa, numb skull." May whacked Flint's arm upon hearing the name calling, causing the boy to yelp.

"Please, come in, have a seat," Delia said, gesturing for everyone to enter the house. "Can I get anybody anything?"

"No, I'm fine," Giovanni said as he stepped into the house.

"Oh really? Not even a sandwich?" Delia asked sarcastically, her temper already rising. Ash and May exchanged worried glances. "How about a foot massage and a back rub, or maybe a cup of coffee and a sirloin steak, perhaps you're feeling a little adventurous and take my virginity away, just to leave and never come back the next day!"

"Delia, I'm sorry-" Giovanni tried to say.

"I was only seventeen!" She continued, "And you ditch me like that you ungrateful jerk!" She lifted her hand slapped Giovanni across the face. Ash began to step forward to break them up, but Giovanni held his hand up.

"I deserved that," Giovanni said.

Delia squinted and furrowed her brow. "You have no idea how long I've wanted to do that!" she said menacingly.

"Just try not to be hostile," Giovanni said, "The children are watching..."

Delia's eyes widened and she glanced at Amy and Flint. "What's virginity?" Amy asked, looking up at her mother.

May was speechless, not knowing how to answer. "Uuuhhh," she groaned, exchanging glances with Ash, mouthing _'Help me out here_' to him.

"Virginity was a Pokémon that Mom used to have," Ash said, May face palmed, shaking her head.

Flint had a confused look on his face. "Why would Grandpa take a Pokémon from Grandma?" he asked.

Ash shrugged. "He never told us, maybe it was for a spy mission," he said, sticking his hands in his pockets. Pikachu, who was sitting on Ash's shoulder, face palmed as well.

Delia, on the other hand, was completely confused. Ash quickly grabbed arm and pulled her into the kitchen. "What on earth are you guys talking about?" she asked.

Ash sweat dropped. "Dad told Flint and Amy that he was a spy, we didn't want to tell them about his real past," he said. Delia's brow furrowed for a moment before she simply shrugged.

"Okay," she said, agitation apparent in her voice.

"And Mom," Ash said, putting his hands on her shoulders, "Calm down."

The two closed their eyes and took a deep breath in sync. They opened their eyes again and smiled at each other; Delia reached out and hugged her son. "He's put me through so much pain," she said quietly.

"I know, I know," Ash replied, hugging her back, "But give him a chance, okay? Treat him like a house guest, if not for him, then for me."

Delia let go of him and backed up. She sighed and took a deep breath. "Okay... Okay..." she said.

The two stepped out of the kitchen and back into the hallway, everyone had moved into the living room, where Flint and Amy had pulled out a basket of toys Delia kept under the couch. "May, honey, would you like to help me with lunch?" Delia asked.

May looked over at her from her seat in the living room and smiled. "Yeah," she said, standing up. She walked past Ash, giving him a quick peck on the cheek before walking into the kitchen with Delia. Ash smiled as he heard the two begin to chatter.

He turned around and walked into the living room, sitting down where May had been previously. He glanced over at Giovanni, who was sitting on the couch across from him. He looked sad.

"After all these years," Giovanni began, "She's still so beautiful..."

Ash smiled at his statement, the children paid them no heed though. "Just give her some time," he said, "Maybe she'll come around."

Giovanni shook his head. "No... I've scarred her for life, I'll never be forgiven," he said, his piercing eyes looked sad for once.

Ash smiled and Pikachu ran by, playing with Flint. He held a small sports car in his paw.

"You'd be surprised," Ash said, looking back up at his father, "She can be very forgiving."

Amy walked over to Giovanni and climbed up in his lap, which surprised Ash. "Look at this, Grandpa," she said, holding up a stuffed doll, it had long brown hair and a white hat, a blue tank top, and a red skirt. "I named her Leaf, and she has super powers."

"Oh? What kind of super powers?" Giovanni asked.

Amy handed him the doll to look at. "She can fly, and shoots lasers from her eyes," Amy said proudly, putting her hands on her hips. "If she sees a bad guy, she shoots her lasers and beats them up."

Ash glanced over into the kitchen, making sure May hadn't heard Amy's statement. "That's interesting," Giovanni said, handing the doll back to her. Amy hopped off his lap and continued playing.

"You're starting to grow on them," Ash said with a smile, "And it's only day two."

Giovanni smirked and nodded. "So I've noticed, they're fine young fellows, your children," he said.

Ash sat back in his chair. "And you haven't even met Amber yet," he said, drumming his fingers on the arm rest of the chair.

Giovanni leaned back, starting to look a little more relaxed. "Yes, you told me a little about her," he said, "Care to share more?"

Ash smirked and shook his head, letting out a slight chuckle. "She's your average teenage girl," Ash said, "She likes makeup, loves to shop, and her hair is the most important aspect of her life."

Giovanni chuckled as well. "She's traveling around Hoenn at the moment with a boy named Blaze," Ash continued, "He's the son of some friends of mine."

"I take it we'll be visiting them in the near future as well?" he asked.

Ash nodded. "Yep, eventually," he said. "We'll be visiting a lot of our old friends actually."

"I'm sure you're excited," Giovanni said, temporarily lifting his legs so Pikachu could pass through the tight squeeze in-between the couch and the coffee table.

Ash smiled and nodded. "Yeah, I am... It'll help me... Get my mind off things," he said, he let out a deep breath. "It'll be fun," he said quietly.

Giovanni raised a brow, noting Ash strange behavior, but decided not to question it.

* * *

Everyone was seated at the table, which luckily was large enough to seat them all. Giovanni sat at one end of the table, while Delia sat at the other. Ash and May sat opposite of each other so Flint and Amy wouldn't annoy each other.

In Ash's mind, a meal like the one set out before him was amazing. The combination of his mother's and his wife's cooking was always something that never left him unsatisfied. "_It's the perfect combination_," Ash would say, "_Blech, I'm starting to sound like Cilan_."

But unlike usual, the table was fairly quiet, aside from the constant tapping of silverware. Despite sitting across from each other, Delia refused to look at Giovanni, and he kept his gaze down at his food.

"The cooking is great, you two," Ash said, breaking the silence.

"Hm, yes, I see May has picked up a few new tricks," Delia said, smiling at the brunette. "I'm glad you are enjoying it."

May had been taught by Cilan how to cook years ago, before even Amber had been born. After several months of eating out and microwaved meals, Ash and May determined that one of them needed to learn to cook. Cilan stayed over with them on the Battle Pyramid for about a month, teaching May how to cook every day. After Cilan left, May learned a few tricks from Delia, Brock, and her mother, and with the four's knowledge combined, May became a master at cooking. She learned to expand and experiment on her own, coming up with her own recipes. "_A touch of bacon can do wonders_," was her motto.

Giovanni nodded, not looking up from his food. "Yes," he said, clearing his throat with a soft cough, "It's a fine meal."

Delia finally looked at Giovanni, but didn't say anything. The man finally found it in him to look up and look his ex-lover in the eye. "It's exquisite," he said, not breaking eye contact with her.

Delia closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "Thank you... Giovanni..." She said slowly, poking her food with a fork, "But it wasn't just me, May did all the hard work."

"Well, I wouldn't say that," May said, blushing, "It was your original recipe."

Ash and Flint sighed; Delia and May had this conversation every time they cooked together. They would go back and forth, trying to give credit to each other.

...

Amy set her fork down, as she had finished her food. "So what kind of Pokémon was Virginity?"

* * *

Ash took a deep breath of fresh air as he walked down the road. Evening was approaching, and he wanted to do something before he left Pallet Town. He walked up a large hill towards the familiar lab that made his town famous. Oak Laboratories, famed as the research center of the great Professor Oak.

Actually, Professor Oak had retired years ago, and moved away to live the rest of his life in relaxation. Ash smiled sadly as he walked up the path, times sure had changed since he had been a young trainer.

"You ready to see everyone again, Pikachu?" Ash asked. The Pokémon on his shoulder nodded. Ash still kept all the Pokémon from his journey at Oak Labs, even if Professor Oak didn't work there anymore, he felt it was in good hands.

He knocked on the door and patently waited for it to be answered. He heard movement on the other side, and the doorknob jiggled. The door opened to reveal Professor Tracey Sketchit, the proud owner of Oak Labs.

The laboratory had been inherited by Gary's older sister, whose name was May Oak. After marrying Tracey, the two took on the task of being professors, and caring for the Pokémon lab.

"Hey Ash," Tracey said with a smile, "It's been a while, I take it you're here to see your Pokémon?" he asked, Ash nodded. Tracy stepped back to let him in. "Well come inside."

Ash stepped inside and looked around, Tracy hadn't changed the lab much after Professor Oak left, only updating equipment to keep up with technology.

"Your Pokémon have been getting a little restless," Tracey said, as Ash walked over to the sliding glass door that led to the fields. Ash would have gone out there, but as he was getting older, he couldn't take getting tackled by fifty Pokémon at the same time very well, and he had yet to find a way to calm them down after they got excited.

"Oh?" He asked as he watched some of his Pokémon run by. "How do they pass the time?"

Tracey shrugged. "They battle each other for fun sometimes, run around, climb trees, stuff like that," he said, "Some of them have been getting stronger because if it."

Ash nodded. "Good, good," he said, looking around, "Say, where's May?" he asked, referring to Tracey's wife.

Tracey smiled, "She's gone off to do some field work in Johto," he said, "She studying a Pokémon's emotions while they're in the wild."

Ash nodded, "Sounds interesting," he said, "Maybe she could send me her report when she's all finished."

Tracey nodded in agreement. "I'll try to remember," he said.

* * *

"So the children seem to like you," Delia said, scrubbing a dish in the sink next to Giovanni, who had requested to help her out.

"Yes, I'm surprised myself," Giovanni admitted, running a plate under warm water, "Maybe it's only because they don't know my real past."

Delia took a deep breath and handed another dish to Giovanni. "Yes, you don't have the cleanest hands," she said, grabbing another dish to scrub.

"I know, I know," The older man said, shaking his head, "But those days are gone forever, Team Rocket is no more... Ash made sure of that."

...

They didn't say anything for a few moments; the only noise was the running sink water and the children playing in the other room. "Do you regret what you did?" Delia asked, looking Giovanni in the eye.

Giovanni chuckled. "Ash asked me the same thing before he bailed me out," he told her.

"And what did you tell him?" She asked.

Giovanni grabbed the dish in her hands and began to rinse it, his action snapping Delia's attention back to the task at hand. "I told him I did regret it," he said.

Delia looked at him suspiciously. "Were you being honest?" she asked sternly.

Giovanni nodded. "Of course I was," he said.

Delia handed him another dish, "Why the change of heart, you didn't seem to regret it when you driven off to prison," she said flatly.

Giovanni sighed. "Prison gave me a lot of time to think," He said, "Lots of time..."

Suddenly, Flint excitedly burst into the kitchen. "Hey! Dad's battling some girl with a Lopunny outside!" He said excitedly, "Come and see!"

Giovanni exchanged glances with Delia before setting down his dish. Delia set hers down and turned off the sink, and the two walked outside. May, Flint, and Amy were already outside watching the battle.

"Registeel! Use Ancient Power!" Ash exclaimed, pointing at the Lopunny on the other side of the field. Registeel began to glow and fired a silver energy ball at Lopunny, nailing it and causing it to fall over into its back.

"Lopunny! Are you okay?" The opponent asked. She was a young female trainer who looked no older than twelve. The normal type Pokémon slowly rose to its feet, and nodded. "Good! Use Dizzy Punch!"

"Harden!" Ash shouted. Registeel flashed quickly and performed the move. Lopunny charged at it and threw its fist at Registeel, hitting it with a loud clang.

...

"Lopunny?" the trainer asked. Suddenly, Lopunny burst into tears and held its hand, which was glowing red.

"Ouch, that must hurt," Flint said, "Hitting Registeel after it uses Harden is like punching a cliff. You won't get anywhere."

"So... Is that the match?" Ash asked the trainer as Lopunny continued to cry. "You might want to have Lopunny's hand checked.

The young trainer sighed and returned her Pokémon. "I-I guess so," she said, sticking the Pokéball in her pouch "How are you so powerful?"

Ash smiled, gesturing to his steel type, "I have Registeel," he said, folding his arms across his chest "It's legendary, it's powerful."

As the trainer took her leave, Flint began to excitedly jump up and down. "Aw man! Registeel is so cool!" He said.

"Pfft, whatever," Amy said, pouting and crossing her arms.

May glanced off into the horizon, seeing the sun beginning to set. The sky had grown orange, and was slowly getting darker. She glanced at the watch Ash had given her for her birthday and saw that it was about 8:30.

"Alright you two," she said, "It's getting late, we need to head back to the pyramid."

Flint and Amy sighed in disappointment, but knew that it wasn't worth arguing with their mother. They both began to follow her back to the pyramid, with was about a quarter mile away from the house.

"We should probably head back too, Dad," Ash said, he pulled out a Pokéball and returned Registeel. Pikachu climbed up onto his shoulder.

Giovanni nodded to Ash before turned to Delia, looking down at her. "Just in case we don't see each other for a while," he said, grabbing her hand and kissing the back of it, "I'm sorry... Please forgive me..."

Delia withdrew her hand from his grasp quickly, and looked at him surprisingly. "I-I'm sorry, Giovanni," she said, sadly shaking her head "… But… I can't..."

Giovanni sighed sadly, but with understanding. "I understand," he said, "I don't deserve you anyways."

Ash and Pikachu watched sadly as the two spoke. As much as he knew it would never happen, he wished his mother would forgive Giovanni, so that they could be a happy family... One he had never had...

With that, he and Giovanni headed back to the pyramid, neither looking back.

* * *

**Up next: Meet the Oaks**

**We'll see how often I update this, now that I'm dealing with this, Civil War, and a collaboration I'm working on with someone. :D**

**Oh, and over at the Bulbagarden forums, we're holding an advanceshipping one-shot contest. The theme is "Wishes" and the deadline is May 29th. Go to Bulbagarden forums, and look me up (I'm The Shiny Gengar there as well) PM me and I'll give you more info.**

**The Shiny Gengar**


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3: Meet the Oaks**

* * *

**To the people who say Gary's sister's name is Daisy, I don't recall them ever mentioning it in the anime. I know in the games her name is Daisy, but in the manga her name is May, so that's what I used. So yeah... We're both right ^_^**

**Oh, and the girl named Matori is Giovanni's secretary in the Black and White series. She remains unnamed in the dub, so I'm just going to use her Japanese name. I figured I'd explain that ahead of time to eliminate confusion.**

**Enjoy the chapter.**

* * *

_"Mr. Ketchum, your mother is here."_

Chatot's voice rang through the room, causing Ash to jump.

"She says she is here to say goodbye," Chatot finished.

The family had once again all gathered in the dining room to eat breakfast. Flint was tiredly munching on cereal while Amy ate some toast. Ash and May were sipping on hot cups of coffee while Giovanni read the morning paper, which Chatot had printed out for him.

Ash set down his coffee and stood up from the table. "Alright, kids, let's go say goodbye to grandma," he said.

Giovanni smirked and set down his paper. "Don't leave without me," he said. May noticed that Giovanni actually seemed anxious to go see Delia one last time.

They all made their way down to the bottom of the pyramid, where Delia was patiently waiting. Amy and Flint ran to their grandma and both gave her a tight hug.

"I'm going to miss you grandma," Amy said, nuzzling her head into the woman.

Delia reached down and hugged her granddaughter, "I'll miss you too, sweetheart," she said, a comforting smile on her face.

"You should come with us!" Flint said, an excited smile appeared on his face. "We have plenty of room for you on the pyramid! Mom and Dad won't mind!"

Delia smiled at the boy and ruffled his hair, sadly glancing over at Giovanni. "I'm sorry," she said, "But that just wouldn't work..."

Flint's expression went from excitement to disappointment. "Aww..." he said sadly. Delia chuckled and kissed the two children on their foreheads before walking over to the others.

"I wish you all the best of luck," She said with a smile, "And tell Chatot to drive that thing safely."

"I'm sure we'll be fine," Ash assured her, a grin on his face.

"Yeah," May agreed, "And we'll be sure to come back and visit you soon."

Delia smiled and nodded to her son and daughter-in-law before turning to Giovanni. Her eyes began to water as the two gazed at each other. After a long silence, Giovanni nodded, and she turned away.

* * *

"Where are we heading today, sir?" Chatot asked, Ash had just booted up the motherboard and was preparing to set his course.

"Cerulean City," Ash told him, tapping a few keys on the virtual keyboard laid out before him on a touch screen. "We're visiting the Oaks today."

May stepped into the control room with her cup of unfinished coffee, which she had recently reheated. "Excited?" she asked as she walked in. Pikachu scurried into the room as well, running past May and jumping into Ash's lap.

"Yeah, we haven't seen the Oaks in the while," Ash said, but a frown grew on his face. "But my depression is still bugging me."

May ruffled Ash's hair and set her coffee down. "I'm sure you'll feel better once you we get there," she said, "Gary's ego always snaps you back to normal."

Ash laughed and looked up at the screen. Chatot had laid out the course to Cerulean, the trip would be pretty short.

"Estimated trip time is 30 minutes," Chatot said, "Shall I take off?"

"Yep, go ahead," Ash said, scratching Pikachu behind the ear. The facility began to shake as the pyramid prepared to take off.

"Flint's pretty excited about this trip," May said with a giggle.

Ash readjusted the cap on his head. "Yeah, it's been awhile," he said, "He probably is excited to play with Brooke."

"My calculations suggest he will eventually want to mate with the female," Chatot said.

...

...

...

"Since when have you been able to calculate stuff like that?" Ash asked, a strange look on his face.

"My recent update has given me many new things," Chatot said, "Such as a sense of humor."

Ash and May exchanged glances. "Okay, tell us a joke," May said.

"Very well, searching..." Chatot said, "Chuck Norris has counted to infinity... Twice."

And there were many face palms that day.

* * *

The pyramid was heading north towards Cerulean City. May was walking down the hall, preparing for their visit.

_"Excuse me, May."_

She stopped and turned around, finding Giovanni strolling over to her, his cane in hand.

"Hey, what's up?" She asked, a grin on her face.

Giovanni stopped in front of her, despite the years May had grown, He still towered a head above her. She kept a smile on her face though, trying not to look intimidated.

"I haven't been around very long, so maybe I'm just incorrect," Giovanni began, "But Ash seems to have the strange aura about him, a sad one at that."

May was unsure of telling Giovanni about Ash's depression and decided to wave it off. "Oh, it's no big deal," she said, "He's just going through a phase."

Giovanni raised a brow. "A phase?" he asked.

May shrugged. "Um, it's just a thing, nothing to worry about."**  
**

* * *

All was quiet and peaceful at the Oak residence. Young eight year old Brooke Oak sat on the couch in the family living room, her green eyes gazing out the window. At the sight of the familiar flying Pyramid, she would bolt to the door and race out to greet her friends.

"How long until they'll be here?" She asked her older sister, removing a little of her long brown from her pale face.

Rein, her older sister, sat across the room, lazily sitting on the couch while reading a magazine. She was the eleven year old gym leader in training. She had long orange hair and blue eyes.

Her father had wanted her to become a Pokémon researcher, like himself, but her mother insisted she train to be a gym leader. That was fine with Rein though, she had always found her mother's gym battles to be so exciting. It was more likely Brooke would become the researcher; she enjoyed helping her father around the lab, wearing lab coats and such.

Rein glanced out the window and shrugged to her sister. "They should be here any minute now, according to Dad," she said.

On cue, the earth began to rumble and the wind outside stirred wildly. The large pyramid could be seen flying by as Brooke's face brightened. She leapt off the couch and shouted "They're here!" before dashing out the door. She ran outside and waved her hands around excitedly to the pyramid as she watched it fly away. It slowly began to descend and landed off in the distance.

"Looks like they've finally arrived," Gary Oak said, stepping out with Rein and his wife, Misty Oak.

Misty was still the gym leader of the water type gym in Cerulean City, but ever since she had married Gary, there had been a few additions to the gym. A large research center had been built so Gary could continue his career, hoping to one day become as successful of a Pokémon professor as his grandfather.

Today the gym and the lab were closed though. The Oaks were having guests over, and Misty insisted they weren't to be distracted by anything else.

"FLINT!" Brooke shouted loudly as she watched the family slowly step out from the pyramid, even from a quarter mile away, her voice reached the young boy's ears.

"Brooke!" he shouted excitedly. He broke into a run towards the family waiting for them in the distance, Amy and Pikachu followed after him as well. As Ash watched them, he could help but think about what Chatot had said earlier about his son.

"Well, I'm heading off to the city," Giovanni said, tipping the fedora Ash had given him before heading east.

May gently grasped Ash's arm to get his attention. She had a large bag slung over her shoulder. "Do you think he'll be okay?" she whispered to him.

Ash nodded. "Come on, just because he's old doesn't mean he's helpless," he said, "Do you remember Spencer from the battle frontier? That old man had so much energy."

"Well Giovanni isn't Spencer," May told him.

"He was the leader of Team Rocket, I think he can take care of himself," Ash told her, crossing his arms. "Loosen up, May, it's not like he's going to get into a fight or something."

* * *

"Well if it isn't the great Ash Ketchum," Gary said as he grinned and shook Ash's hand. "Long time no see."

Ash let out a long sigh and put his hands on his hips. "It has been a while," he said.

"Ash!" Misty exclaimed as she happily hugged her old friend. Ash laughed and hugged her back. "It's been too long," she said, letting go of him and backing up, "You need to visit us more often."

"Yeah, Brooke keeps asking when you guys will visit," Gary said, glancing over at his daughter, who was excitedly talking to Flint.

Amy, on the other hand, was embracing Rein. She had a picked up a fondness towards the girl, and looked up to her with great respect. Rein loved the attention as much as she loved the little girl, and happily took her under her wing.

"You've grown so much since we last saw each other," Rein said with a big smile on her face.

"Yep!" Amy said happily, "I've grown this much!" she said, stretching her hands as far as she could.

"I wouldn't doubt it," Rein said, ruffling the girl's hair.

"Oh man, we're going to have so much fun!" Flint said excitedly, he and Brooke were getting all pumped up, "We're so going swimming! Hey Dad! Can we swim?"

Ash exchanged glances with May, before glancing back at the Battle Pyramid. "I don't know..." he said.

"Ash..."

"I mean, your bathing suits are back at the battle pyramid..."

_"Ash..."_

"And we'd have to walk there and back..."

"ASH!"

Ash glanced at May who showed him the large bag she had slung over her shoulder, revealing their swim trunks.

...

"What would I do without you?"

* * *

Giovanni held onto his hat has a gust of wind blew through the autumn air. He began to work on buttoning his coat, which protected him from the spine tingling cool air that blew through the city. Despite the cold, it felt good to be on his own for once, not cooped up in the pyramid.

Lost in his thoughts, Giovanni bumped into a young male. "Hey, old man, what's wrong with you!" he said, "You need to-" but the teen stopped short upon seeing Giovanni's piercing death glare. The boy stammered a little before running off.

"Hehe, you still got it, old timer," Giovanni said to himself. He continued to walk down the road, minding his own business.

_"Mmrrroooow..."_

Giovanni stopped and glanced down and ally he had been passing, and was surprised to see a homeless Persian, curled up into a ball in the darkness.

"Well... Doesn't that bring back memories..." Giovanni murmured as he stepped into the ally, towards the Pokémon. "Hey, buddy..." he said gently, slowly approaching the feline Pokémon that watched him cautiously.

He bent over and reached out to pet the Persian, but it growled and snarled, causing Giovanni to back away. It was obvious it didn't trust him. He sighed and stepped out of the ally, and began to walk down the street again.

His old Persian had been taken away from him when he had been captured and thrown in jail. He knew not what had happened to it.

_"Giovanni?"_

The old man turned around and saw a woman with dark purple hair that fell to her shoulders, purple eyes, and a pair of glasses that sat before them.

"Matori?" Giovanni asked, "Is that really you?"

* * *

Four adults sat around a round table next to a large swimming pool. The air was humid and damp and the echoes of children's laughs and shouts bounced off the thick walls.

"So how's Amber doing?" Misty asked, sitting back in her chair.

Ash smiled. "She's fine, she's traveling around Hoenn at the moment," he said, "She's still upset about that battle."

Misty smirked and eyes sparkled. "What did she expect me to do? Go easy on her?" she asked, "Besides, she was using a Sodowoodo, the odds were completely against her."

May chuckled, and crossed her legs. "That was before she understood the whole super effective concept," she said.

Ash shook his head. "Nah, I think she just forgot Sodowoodo was a rock type," he said. He glanced towards the pool watching the children and Pikachu swim around.

"So Ash," Gary began, "What obligated you to go on a road trip? Memories lane nipping at your heels?"

Ash scratched his head and averted his gaze from Misty and Gary. "Oh, you know, just felt like going and seeing-" he stopped short when he felt May lay her hand down on his. He looked at her and she nodded to him. Ash let out a sigh, "I've been feeling depressed for last few months," He admitted. "May suggested we take a trip to get my mind off it."

Misty's face was written with pity while Gary appeared to be studying the frontier brain. "That's terrible," Misty said, "It hasn't lead to suicidal thoughts or anything, has it?"

Ash shook his head. "No, at least not yet," he said.

Gary leaned forward, resting his arms on the table. "Has the trip been helping?" he asked.

Ash shrugged. "It's only day two," he told them, "But it hasn't worked very well yet..."

"And you don't know the reason behind your depression?" Gary asked, drumming his fingers on the table.

Ash shook his head. "No, I've just been feeling down lately, and have been slowly sinking lower," he admitted.

Gary scratched his chin, continuing to study Ash. "Maybe it's a lack of sleep?" he asked.

Ash shook his head. "No, I had been sleeping fine," he told his friend, "but I will say the depression has been keeping me up at night."

Gary and Misty exchanged glances before looking back at Ash. "How about a battle?" Misty suggested, "That always gets you going."

Ash chuckled and shook his head. "I'm the Pyramid King," he said, "I get challenges all the time, and that doesn't help."

...

"Ash even bailed his father out of jail," May told them, "Even though it's nice to have him around, it hasn't help at all."

Gary and Misty exchanged confused glances. "Your father?" they asked.

Ash sighed and scratched his head; he hadn't really told anyone about what his mother had told him. "Well, you remember Giovanni, the former leader of Team Rocket?"

Gary crossed his arms over his chest and nodded. "Yeah, you got rid of Team Rocket years ago, he was thrown in jail," he said.

But Misty's eyes were filled with fear. "Ash, please tell me this isn't going where I think it is," she said, Gary had a smug look on his face.

Ash nodded. "Yep, Giovanni is my father," He said.

...

...

...

"Dang it!" Misty shouted, slamming her fist into the table. Gary burst into laughter. She dug through her purse and pulled out her wallet, shoving a ten dollar bill in Gary's face. "Take it you smarty pants!" She grumbled.

"Love you too," Gary said, still chuckling as he took the ten dollars from Misty. He gave the annoyed woman a kiss on the cheek.

"You made a bet about my father?" Ash exclaimed, standing up from the table.

...

...

...

"Yeah," Gary said. Ash just threw his hands in the air and walked off, grumbling the whole time.

"Aww, come on, Ash," Misty said, getting up and walking over to the frontier brain who was now standing at the edge of the pool. "Don't be mad..."

"You guys have no sense of respect..." Ash griped, covering his eyes with his cap. "... Making bets about my father..."

Misty laid a hand on his shoulder. "Come on, lighten up," she said.

...

...

...

"Say, do you have anything in your pockets?" Misty asked.

Ash looked at her oddly and shook his head. "No, I left everything back at the pyramid."

"Is that watch waterproof?"

Ash glanced at the watch on his wrist. "Yeah... Why-ACK!" He exclaimed as Misty shoved him into the pool, causing a loud splash.

As Ash resurfaced, the children and Pikachu burst into laughter. Ash took off his cap and dumped the water out of it while glaring up at Misty. "You would," he said, a smirk on his face.

Misty smiled before kicking off her flip flops and jumping into the pool as well.

Gary smiled as the two adults began to splash at each other. "They're so mature," he said, sarcasm laced in his voice.

May smiled and laughed. "Typical Ash," she said.

* * *

"So what happened? When did you get out?" Matori asked. She and Giovanni sat in a small coffee shop. It had a warm and friendly atmosphere to it, and in Giovanni's opinion, the coffee was superb.

The older man took a sip from the cup in his hand before answering. "Two days ago," he said.

"How'd it happen?" Matori asked, leaning forward. "Did the guards get lazy? Did you gain their trust and escape? Perhaps you were broken out?"

Giovanni shook his head to all her theories. "No, I was bailed out," he said, "nothing violent or devious."

Matori frowned and raised a brow. "Bailed? By whom?" she asked, "Last I checked, the amount required to get you out of there was insanely high."

Giovanni crossed his arms over his chest, a smirk on his face. "You wouldn't believe me if I told you," he said.

"Jessie and James?" she asked, "But those two couldn't hold onto two cents if their life depended on it."

Giovanni shook his head, rubbing his scalp as he recalled his two former members. "No... Not those idiots..." he said.

Matori glanced down and took a sip of her own coffee. "Well then, who?" she asked.

Giovanni glanced up at her. "Ketchum." He said, "My son."

Matori's eyes widened. "The one who put you in jail in the first place?" she asked, Giovanni simply nodded, "But why?"

Giovanni shrugged. "I honestly have no idea," he said, "But he's taken me in and I'm living with him and his family."

Matori nodded and sipped a bit more of her coffee. "So what are your plans?" she asked, "Are you going to rebuild Team Rocket? You know we'd all be more than happy to start up again."

...

...

...

Giovanni thought about the idea. Going back and rebuilding his powerful organization, it was a tempting action. He still longed for power, and it didn't appear that he would obtain it on the route he was taking now.

But then there was Ash... And May... And Flint and Amy. Not to mention Amber, whom he had yet to meet yet. They all treated him with love, something he had never experienced before, even from his own mother. He couldn't betray them like that, not now.

"Giovanni?" Matori asked, snapping her former boss back to reality.

"Erm, I have no plans of bringing Team Rocket back," he said, rubbing his eyes "Besides, even if we did, Ketchum would just stop us again."

"But think about it!" Matori began, "We learned from our mistakes, we know what it is we need to do and not do! If we plan correctly, history won't repeat itself."

Giovanni shook his head. "I'm sorry, Matori... But I simply can't," he said sternly.

"But-"

"No buts!" Giovanni said, slamming his fist down on the table, causing the woman to jump. "I've already said I won't! Now stop trying to convince me!"

With that, he stood up and began to walk away. "Giovanni! Wait!" Matori said, quickly getting up as well and following after him. The man stopped, glancing over his broad shoulder to look at the woman. "I-I'm sorry," she stammered, "I didn't mean to upset you."

Giovanni sighed and turned to face her, looking down at the shorter woman. "Apology accepted," he said plainly.

"I don't want to part on bad terms," Matori said, sticking out her hand. Giovanni smirked and shook it before turning around and leaving.

* * *

"So what's Giovanni like?"

...

...

...

"May?"

...

...

...

"May!"

May jumped slightly and turned her attention to Gary. "Hm? What?" she asked.

Gary sweat dropped and sighed. "Giovanni," he repeated, "What's he like?"

"Um..." May began, turning her attention back over to the pool, watching Ash laugh as he and Misty played around with Flint and Brooke. "He's nice..." she said, not taking her gaze off the pool, "But he still has an intimidating aura about him."

"Yeah, he was the former leader of the ultimate crime organization," Gary said, running his hand through his hair, "It's probably expected."

May nodded, still not tearing her gaze from the pool. "Yeah..." she said quietly. Gary raised a brow, she seemed distracted by something. He followed her gaze and saw Ash still swimming in the pool, but he had taken his shoes, shirt, and hat off.

"Is something bothering you, May?" Gary asked, "You seem to be somewhere else."

May finally glanced at Gary, blinking a few times. Something was indeed on her mind, but not something she wanted to share.

_Ash seems really happy right now_... May thought ... _With Misty_...

May shook her head and furrowed her brow. _No, don't think that way!_ she scolded herself, _Ash would never...  
_  
Her eyes widened, _what if that's why he's depressed_, She though, the frightening thought dawning on her, _because... of me_...

May shook her head again. _Stop thinking that way!_May exclaimed inside her head.

While May was having this internal thought process, Gary just looked at her oddly as her expression changed from wonder, to anger, to shock, and back to anger. "Are you sure you're feeling okay, May?" He asked again.

May blushed in embarrassment, realizing what she was doing. "Um, I'm fine," She said, "Just arguing with myself..."

...

"Okay then," Gary said, turning his attention back to the pool. He figured it would be best to not pursue the topic.

At that moment, Amy was balancing on Ash's shoulders, preparing to jump off and go into the water.

"So how's the Regi trio doing?" Misty asked, Amy jumped and splashed into the water.

Ash shook his head and removed the hair that was sticking to his face. "They're great," he said, "They just get more and more powerful each time I use them."

Misty cocked her head. "Are you able to handle their power?" she asked, "Remember Charizard? He wouldn't obey you for a while."

Ash shook his head. "They obey me just fine," he said, "I'm a frontier brain, I have tons of badges, I think they've accepted me as their trainer."

Ash lifted his arm and blocked a splash Flint sent at Brooke. "Well how about a demonstration," Misty said, "I haven't seen you battle in forever..."

Ash nodded and turned in the direction of the table Gary and May were sitting at. "Hey Gary!" he called out, "Want to have a battle?"

* * *

Everyone had gotten out of the pool for Ash and Gary's battle, as it was the battle field for the gym. Both men stood on either side of the pool, smirks on their faces. Misty had set up several large platforms for the Pokémon to stand on, which bobbed up and down in the water.

"Gary, don't use Electivire," Misty called out, wrapped up in a towel. "The concrete up here is wet; I don't want it shocking the children."

Gary nodded and grabbed a Pokéball. "Blastoise! Go!" he said, calling out the starter Pokémon he had received so many years ago. The large turtle like Pokémon appeared on the field, on one of the platforms floating in the water, causing it to sink a little under its weight.

"Regice! I choose you!" Ash exclaimed, the large ice type also appeared on a floating platform. Amy squealed in delight upon the Iceberg Pokémon's release.

"Alright Blastoise, let's kick this off with Whirlpool!" Gary said. Blastoise nodded and aimed the two large cannons in its shell at the water. With a loud rumble, it shot two powerful jets of water into the pool, causing the platform he was on to move. Soon all the water in the pool began to move in a circular motion, and a whirlpool formed.

"Hit it with Ice Beam!" Ash exclaimed. Regice charged up the shot and fired the Ice Beam at Blastoise. But with the platforms revolving so quickly and whirlpool moving everything around, Regice missed and the attack hit the wall, causing a thick layer of ice to encrusted it.

"Lock On! And then Ancient Power!" Ash shouted. Regice's eyes began to glow and a single red target appeared on Blastoise's forhead.

"Get it with Hydro Pump!" Gary ordered. Blastoise nodded a fired a pillar of water at Regice, but the revolving whirlpool made it impossible to hit.

"Duck!" Misty exclaimed. She put her arms over Flint and Brooke and shoved them down; May did the same to Rein and Amy. They narrowly avoided the Hydro Pump that swept by over their heads.

Regice formed glowing rocks around its body, and it thrust them at Blastoise. Lock On kicked in and the glowing rock curved, going after Blastoise. The attack nailed the water type Pokémon.

"Well that Whirlpool backfired," Gary grumbled, "Blastoise! Use Aqua Jet to get over to Regice!"

Blastoise dove into the water, and swimming with the current, shot over to the platform Regice was on. He jumped out of the pool with a trail of water surrounding him.

"Regice! Protect!" Ash exclaimed. Regice surrounded itself in a green orb, stopping Blastoise's attack short.

"Headbutt!" Gary shouted.

"Focus Punch!" Ash countered.

The two attacks collided, the two Pokémon struggled to overpower the other, but Regice was quickly the victor, and sent Blastoise flying backwards.

At this point, the whirl pool had settled, and the water was calm once again. "This water is getting annoying," Ash grumbled, "Ice Beam at the water!"

Regice charged up and fired the Ice Beam into the pool, freezing the water over. "Alright, Regice, skate!" Ash said. Regice jumped off the platform and began to skate around on the ice, quickly gaining speed.

"With the ice to skate on, Regice will be able to move a lot faster," May said.

"Go, Regice!" Amy exclaimed.

"Blastoise! Use Hydro Pump!" Gary said. Blastoise, took aim and fired, but Regice was able to easily dodge the attack while skating on the ice. The power of Blastoise's attack caused the Shellfish Pokémon to be pushed backward. It lost its footing and fell on his back.

"Get it with Focus Punch!" Ash exclaimed.

"Withdraw!" Gary ordered.

Regice skated at Blastoise, gaining momentum. His fist began to glow and he jumped into the air, preparing to attack. Blastoise hid within his shell just as Regice struck. Blastoise slid on the ice, bounding off the edges of the pool and spinning around like a ball on a pool table.

"One final Focus Punch!" Ash said. Regice drew back his fist and prepared to strike. As Blastoise came spinning at Regice, the ice type threw its punch, and sent him flying. Blastoise landed hard, cracking the ice, the swirls over his eyes signified he had been knocked out.

"Looks like I win this one, Gary," Ash said, he thanked Regice before returning it.

"Wow, Dad didn't even scratch Regice," Rein said, "It's so powerful..."

"Aw man!" Amy said excitedly, jumping up and down. "That was freakin' awesome!"

* * *

Evening had come, the sky was coated in an orange tint, and the sun was beginning to hide behind the hills on the horizon. Everyone stood outside the gym, the time had come for departure.

"It feels like you just got here," Misty said sadly.

"Yeah, you guys should come when you can stay longer," Gary said.

Ash and May smiled, "We sure will," Ash said.

"Yeah! And we'll come back soon!" Flint said, smiling to Brooke, "Right, Dad?"

Ash looked down at Flint and shrugged. "We'll see," he said.

Gary and Ash shook hands and Misty gave Ash a hug, sparking May's previous thoughts back to life. She was quick to try to shake the thought away. "Good luck with your depression," Misty said.

After exchanging goodbyes, the Ketchum family left, heading back to the massive pyramid in the distance.

"Yep..." Misty said, turning back to the gym, "Now I have to thaw out the pool."

* * *

"Mr. Ketchum, I have another joke," Chatot said. The children had gone to bed, and Ash and May were relaxing in the living room, waiting for Giovanni to return home.

"Okay, humor me," he said.

"Chuck Norris can empty out a pool with a fork... While it's raining," Chatot said, May stifled a laugh.

"What if the pool was indoors?" Ash asked.

...

...

...

"Searching for a new joke..." Chatot said.

* * *

**Remember how I said I listened to Dementia by Owl City in a continuous loop when I wrote Tanabata Wish? This time it was Houdini by Foster the People.**

**Oh, and btw. PichuAuraGuardian18 and I are doing a collaboration. We're working on a fic called "Awake" which is over on his profile, so be sure to check that out.**

**And yeah, I know the battles are short, but it's kind of the point. It displays the power of the Regis. If you want to read a long battle, FTaL has a three chapter long battle towards the end.**

**So yeah...**

**The Shiny Gengar**


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4: Meet the ****Harrisons**

* * *

**Yeah... It's been a while... I'm sorry. There was this thing with a Collab that was supposed to tie into this story, not sure what happened to that though... So hey, I figured I'd finally update.**

**So you know how I like experimenting with Dawn shippings? I realized I need to do the same thing with Brock. We'll see how it goes.**

* * *

The night was growing old. a chilly breeze whistled through trees. A Noctowl softly hooted nearby, but May wasn't focused on the sounds coming through the open bedroom window. Her attention was on the man lying asleep beside her.

Tonight, Ash and May swapped sleeping habits. Ever since Ash's depression, he tossed and turned all night. This time, it was May's turn. Her worries from Cerulean had followed her. She couldn't help but wonder if she was the reason Ash was depressed.

Her eyes watered slightly at the thought, but she was quick to blink them away. She looked at Ash, who was fast asleep for once. She hadn't seen him sleep so soundly in months. She laid on her left side, facing his sleeping body. Using her right hand, she brushed away a few strands of hair from his face.

Ash stirred a little at her touch, causing her to quickly draw back her hand, not wanting to wake her husband up from a rare good night sleep.

"What's wrong with you, Ash?" She whispered so quietly, she barely heard herself. "Why have you been feeling like this?"

She knew that not even he knew the answer to that. Even his therapist had yet to figure it out.

"Is it because of me?"

...

May let out a soft sigh, trying to get her nagging fears out of her head. She could only wonder if Ash was actually hiding something from her.

"Her couldn't... He wouldn't..." She told herself. The curtains by the window rose a little as a cool breeze blew through into the room. A chill ran down May's spine giving her goose bumps. Ash must have felt the cold breeze across his body as well. He stirred again and reached out, still asleep. To May's surprise, his arm wrapped around her, and drew her closer to him.

Her lips curved into a smile as she pressed herself against his chest, feeling the warmth of his arm wrapped around her.

"Pikachu... Use Thunderbolt..." Ash mumbled in his sleep. A soft smile grew across his face. May sighed as she gazed at his genuine smile, as if it was an old friend she hadn't seen in years.

"Dreaming about the good ol' days?" May asked quietly, still enjoying his smile. At the sound of her quiet words, Ash tightened his wrap around her, still fast asleep. Ash was never one to wake up easily; he could sleep through a train wreck for all May cared.

Comforted by the warmth and reassured by his embraced, May let out a soft yawn. She closed her eyes, and joined Ash in his dreams.

* * *

Ash slept in late that morning, and May made no attempt to wake him. Knowing how sleep deprived he had been lately, she would have let him sleep three days straight if he needed to.

Giovanni could sense a strange aura emanating from May as he read the news paper that morning. He watched her as she slowly drank her coffee. Her mind was clearly elsewhere.

"May? You feeling alright?" he asked after the children left the table, setting his newspaper down. "You're acting a little unusual." he stated, intertwining his fingers together and laying his hand in his lap.

May was always amazed by Giovanni's intimidating appearance. Even at the dining room table, in his pajamas, his piercing eyes made her feel uncomfortable. She could only hope she would get used to it eventually.

"Um, yeah, I'm fine." she said. "I just didn't sleep too well last night." She moved her coffee cup in a circular motion, causing the warm liquid inside to swish back and forth.

Giovanni crossed his arms across his chest; he could tell there was more going on in the background. "You seem to be under a little stress." he observed. "Why don't I take Flint and Amy off your hands for the day so you can relax?"

May's eyes widened. "Wait, what?" she asked in disbelief, laying her hand flat on her chest. "You're asking to take them off my hands for a while?"

Giovanni didn't break eye contact. "Yes, is that a problem?" he asked.

May began to laugh, which progressively grew louder and louder. "We-we can't even keep a nanny for a week!" She gasped between laughs. "And you're actually asking to watch them?"

At that point, there was no return. May slammed her fist in the table as she laughed, causing her coffee cup to hop slightly. The sight made Giovanni feel slightly uncomfortable.

May finally got a hold of herself, wiping a tear from her eye as she tried to suppress her giggles. "You can't be serious..." She said as she continued to calm down. "Those two together are just too much trouble..."

Giovanni shrugged. "They seem like fine children to me." he said.

"Oh... But when together... They're like fire and dynamite," May said. "They just listen to me because I'm their mother. They won't submit to anyone but Ash, me, or Delia."

Giovanni smirked. "Ah, but you forget. I used to run an entire criminal organization." he said. "I know a thing or two about discipline."

...

"Don't take those words the wrong way." Giovanni said quickly, leaning forward in his seat. He realized what he said could be misinterpreted. "I will be sure to act on good judgment, and not make rash decisions."

May sighed and stood up. "I'll talk to Ash and see what he thinks." she said with a smile. "When he wakes up, that is."

May glanced down at her watch to check the time. "Hm..." she huffed. "The Harrisons are expecting us soon. I better tell Chatot that we need to take off."

With that, she left the room, leaving Giovanni by himself.

* * *

"What did the buffalo say to his boy when he departed on a long journey?" Chatot asked May as she sat before the motherboard.

"I don't know, what?" May asked as she pressed a few buttons.

...

"Bison."

May sighed and face-desked, her face pressing a few of the virtual buttons on the touchable screen. "Chatot, when's you're next update?" she asked curiously.

"Not for another two months," Chatot replied.

May moaned and rubbed her scalp. "Hopefully by then they'll have updated your so-called 'sense of humor'." she grumbled.

"That hurts, Mrs. Ketchum." Chatot said.

May got a weird expression on her face. "You're a program, you don't have feelings." she said.

"Well my recent up-"

"Yes, yes, the recent update gave you emotions, how clever!" May said sarcastically, drumming her fingers. "I told Ash he should have the description of that update..."

"Do you not find my sense of humor pleasurable, madam?" Chatot asked.

May sighed, "I don't find them pleasurable... Or funny, for that matter." she said. She began to type in the coordinates to the pyramid's next destination. "And I doubt I ever will."

...

"Challenge Accepted." Chatot answered.

* * *

Ash let out a soft moan as he felt the pyramid rumble. He didn't want to get up, even after such a goodnight sleep. He grabbed his pillow and put it over his head, hoping to drown out the noise and fall back asleep. The attempt was futile though. He looked around the room to see both May and Pikachu were gone. Letting out a rough sigh, Ash swung his legs over the side of the bed and rubbed his face with his hands. He mumbled a bit before standing up and walking into the bathroom to freshen up. He ran his hands under cool sink water before splashing it on his face. He reached out and grabbed a towel to dry himself off.

"Hey, Daddy?"

Ash jumped at the sudden noise. His senses still foggy, he looked down at his side to see Amy gazing up at him with her large purple eyes. She was still in her pajamas.

"Yeah?" Ash asked drowsily, tossing his towel on the counter.

"Who are we going to see next?" she asked.

Ash chuckled and walked out of the bathroom, knowing she wouldn't be please with his answer. "The Harrisons," he said calmly, bracing himself.

"Awwwwwwww!" Amy moaned. She chased after Ash, hugged leg, and sat on his foot in a futile attempt trying to prevent him from walking. "But Brock is boring!"

Ash laughed and walked across the room, dragging Amy with him. "Aw, don't say that." he said. "He and Cynthia are lots of fun."

"But there's nothing to do there!" She whined, hugging his leg tighter. The Harrisons didn't have any children, meaning Flint and Amy didn't have anyone to play with while they were there.

Ash opened up his dresser and pulled out a black T-shirt. "Well, bring your Nintendo 3DS or something." he said as he took off his pajama shirt and put on his T-shirt.

"Hey Dad!" Flint said excitedly as he ran into the room. "Who are we visiting today?"

Ash smiled knowingly. "Weeeeeelllll..."

...

...

...

"NOO! Don't make us go!" Flint exclaimed after Ash told him. He was now clinging to the leg opposite of the one Amy had grabbed. Ash sweat dropped and attempted to shuffle across the room again, but it wasn't easy with two children being dragged along.

"Just skip Pewter City and tell Brock we forgot about them!" Flint suggested as he was pulled across the room.

"Now that wouldn't be very nice." Ash said, pulling a sleeveless jacket from his closet and pulling his arms through it.

May stepped into the room and smirked as she saw the two children clinging to their father. "Alright guys, let him go." May said, snapping her fingers several times. Flint and Amy released their grips on Ash's legs and got up. "If it's Brock your complaining about, Grandpa offered to watch you for the day... If it's okay with your father."

Flint and Amy gasped and fell to their knees in a begging position. "Please let us go with Grandpa! Please!" They begged.

Ash glanced at May who nodded in approval. "Okay, okay," Ash said, putting his hands up. "You can go with Grandpa."

The children cheered happily and skipped out of the room, leaving Ash and May by themselves.

"Looks like you slept well." May said, kissing Ash on the lips and embracing him.

"Hmm, yeah..." Ash said. "Had a great dream..."

May smiled and looked at him. "Oh yeah? About what?" she asked.

Ash smiled as he recalled the moment. "It was a flash back of back when I was younger." he said. "When I traveled Brock and Misty..."

May stiffened at the mention of the redhead, her worries once again flooding into her head. "O-oh really?" she stammered. "T-that's nice."

Ash let go of her and backed away. "Are you okay? Are you sound a little upset." he said.

May quickly shook her head and began to walk to the door. "No! I'm fine!" she said quickly before leaving the room.

Ash scratched his head with a puzzled look on her face. "Huh," he grunted.

* * *

A large shadow loomed over Pewter City as the large Battle Pyramid flew over it. The propellers keeping the pyramid afloat caused rough winds to stir. Trashcans tumbled and hats to flew off people's heads.

The battle facility flew over to an open field where it landed, causing the ground to shake. The large door to allow the passengers to exit opened, revealing Ash, May, Giovanni, Flint, Amy, and Pikachu.

Amy looked up at her father. "So can we go?" she asked.

Ash shook his head. "Come on, at least say hello before you take off." he said, ruffling the hair on her head.

With that, the six left the facility. Rather than heading to the familiar rock type gym, they made their way to a different part of the city. They found the Pokémon Hospital, where Brock worked. In fact, he owned it.

They all walked into the hospital, which was bustling with several Nurse Joys and other pretty nurses. It would have been a Brock paradise if he wasn't married.

"Um, excuse me... Is the doctor in?" Ash asked as he walked up to the secretary's desk, where yet another pretty girl sat.

The girl looked up at him and adjusted her glasses. "Name, please?" she asked, already tapping several keys on the keyboard.

"Ash Ketchum," Ash said simply.

The secretary stopped and looked up at him with a smile. "Ah, the doctor has been expecting you." she said, standing up. "Right this way."

She walked down a hall with Ash and his family following behind. They reached the end of the hall to a door with the sign saying "Dr. Harrison's Office" nailed to the wall above it.

"Dr. Harrison, you have visitors." the receptionist said, knocking on the door. "It's the Ketchums."

"Ah, let them in." a familiar voice said from the other side of the door.

The receptionist smiled and opened the door for the Ketchums. "Go right in." she said sweetly. Ash smiled and thanked her before he and the rest of his family stepped inside the office.

The office itself wasn't very large, definitely not meant to fit six people and a Pokémon, but they squeezed in anyways. The walls of the office were white, and hanging on them were certificates, awards, and pictures of people. In the middle of the room was a large desk, and behind it sat the familiar Pokémon doctor.

"Brock!" Ash said excitedly. "Man, it's been a while."

The tan man behind the desk stood up from his office chair, a grin on his face. "It sure has." he said. He shook hands with Ash and hugged May. He hadn't changed much over the years, aside from growing a few inches. But rather than wearing his old traveling attire, he wore jeans and a white coat over a greenish shirt, like a doctor would.

"Well, who's this?" Brock asked, looking at Giovanni. "He seems familiar..."

"That's Grandpa!" Amy said cheerfully.

Brock raised a brow, looking at Ash. "Brock, meet Giovanni." Ash said. "Former leader of Team Rocket... And my father."

Brock's eyes widened. "Your dad was-?" he began to ask. Ash simply nodded. Brock put on a warm smile and shook Giovanni's hand firmly. "Well, It's... Uh... Nice to meet you... Again." Brock said, stumbling over his words.

"Yes, a pleasure," Giovanni replied, his piercing eyes even intimidated Brock.

Brock looked at his watch before glancing up. "Well, I don't have any more appointments today, and seeing that I have guests, I can leave early." he assured them. He stepped over to the hooks on the wall, taking off his white jacket and putting on a black fedora and coat. He picked up his briefcase off the floor and scooped up the keys from his desk before walking over the door. "Shall we go?" he asked. With that, everyone filed out of the office.

"Can we go with Grandpa now?" Flint asked once they exited the building, tugging on May's sleeve.

May exchanged glances with Ash. "You haven't even said hello to Cynthia yet." Ash said.

"Ah, let them go." Brock said. "She'll see them at dinner."

Flints eyes widened. "Hey! Are you cooking burgers and rice balls?" He asked.

Brock smiled and winked. "You know it." he replied. Although the kids did find Brock a bit more boring than Ash's other friends, they couldn't deny he was an excellent cook.

The children cheered happily before grabbing Giovanni's hands, dragging him down the road. Pikachu leapt off of Ash's shoulder, following after them.

"They're still full of energy, I see." Brock said, putting his hands on his hips.

May sighed and rolled her eyes as she thought about it. "You don't know the half of it." she grumbled, "They inherited Ash's energy, but all they use it for is to argue with each other. I'll be surprised if they bring Giovanni back in one piece."

Brock turned to Ash. "Speaking of which," he said. "Care to explain?"

As the three walked down the road towards Brock's house, Ash told Brock about how his mother had revealed to him that the notorious Team Rocket leader was indeed his father. He told him about how he had bailed Giovanni out of prison and welcomed him into the family, letting him stay at the Battle Pyramid.

Brock raised a brow and stuck his hand in the pockets of his coat. "I understand he's your father, but he caused so much trouble before you put him away." he said. "Why bail him out?"

Ash exchanged glances with May, who smiled and nodded. "Well... I've been depressed lately." he sighed. "I hoped that getting to know my father would get me out of this..." he twirled his hand in the air, unsure of the word to use. "... funk."

Brock smiled gently and adjusted the fedora on his head. "And I take it nothing happened?" he asked.

Ash sighed and scratched the back of his head. "Well, I'd never abandon him now." Ash admitted. "But no... It hasn't worked."

"We were hoping maybe you would have answers." May spoke up. "You're a doctor, after all."

Brock chuckled. "I'm just a Pokémon doctor. I can't really help you on your feelings." he admitted. They all rounded the corner and walked over to a large house. It was obviously expensive. Brock's motto always was "Crime doesn't pay, but patients do."

Brock opened the front door of the large house and pushed it open for Ash and May, allowing the two to enter. "Honey! I'm home!" Brock shouted, but got no answer.

*BOOM!*

A loud explosion could be heard, the rumble caused the whole room to shake. "Oh, Cynthia must be battling someone." Brock said, stepping out of the room. He motioned for Ash and May to follow him.

They walked through the living room and down the hall. Brock pushed open a door to the left, revealing a large, outdoor battlefield.

Cynthia, after being defeated by the new Sinnoh champion, was encourage by Scott to become a Frontier Brain. She was part of the same frontier division as Ash and was the second hardest to defeat, only after the pyramid king himself.

Ash entered the field just in time to witness Garchomp delivering a powerful Dragon Claw on a Beedrill. The bug type fell to the attack, knocked out.

"Beedrill is unable to battle! The winner is Cynthia!" The referee exclaimed who happened to be one of Brock's younger siblings. The challenger sighed and returned his fallen Pokémon. Cynthia walked over to him and laid a hand on his shoulder. It appeared she was encouraging him. He smiled and nodded before leaving.

Brock smiled and walked over to his wife. The blonde turned to him and smiled as well. Cynthia, like Brock, really hadn't changed much either, she even wore the same black dress she wore back when she was Sinnoh's champion, but most likely because Kanto was experiencing cooler weather.

"I still can't believe after all these years," May whispered. "Brock got a woman like Cynthia."

Ash nodded as the doctor and frontier brain kissed. "I know, right?" Ash replied quietly. "I thought he would always be single."

"I heard that." Brock called back flatly. The two walked over to Cynthia and Brock.

"It's been a while." Cynthia said, embracing Ash and May. "I haven't seen you two since... New Years?"

Ash nodded. "Yeah, that was it." he said with a smile.

There was a brief silence before Brock gestured for everyone to go inside. "Come in, no need to stand out here." he said.

They all stepped inside and sat down in the living room. The room was large, featuring two couches placed facing each other and a coffee table in-between. There was a large flat screen TV hanging on the wall and the room was lit by natural sunlight, which came through large windows that virtually wrapped all the way around the room. Brock didn't let any expenses go to waste when it came to interior design.

"How's the life of the Pyramid King going?" Cynthia asked as she sat down on one couch with Brock, across from Ash and May.

"Good," Ash said, putting a smile on his face.

"Ash has been going through a depression." May said bluntly. "He just doesn't like bringing it up."

Ash grumbled a few un-understandable words, slouching on the couch a little. "Oh, I'm sorry." Cynthia said sympathetically. She turned to Brock. "That's never good, have you asked Brock about it?"

Brock sighed and scratched his head. "I have developed a few theories." he said. "It could be because of many things, lack of sleep maybe?"

Ash shook his head. "I slept fine before my depression." he said. "Now I'm hardly sleeping at all."

Brock scratched his chin, "Have you been losing a lot of battles lately?" He asked.

Ash shook his head again, "No. I've been doing exceedingly well with the Regis."

May smiled proudly. "He's yet to lose a single battle since he obtained his title as Pyramid King." she said.

"Huh," Brock grunted. He seemed impressed. "I was just wondering because that's a little like what happened to Cynthia."

When Cynthia lost her title as Sinnoh Champion, she ran off and fell into a depression. She knew she should have been happy for the new champion, but she had been crushed in battle so easily. She had never seen her Pokémon fall so quickly. Her opponent's strategy was too much for her, and the Pokémon used where amazingly powerful. Her defeat had been disheartening, humiliating even. She felt ashamed of herself for letting her Pokémon down so easily.

That was where Brock came in. The Pokémon doctor in training came to the woman in her time of need. He was there to comfort her, hold her, and give her a shoulder to cry on; eventually was able to bring her out of her depression, bringing her back to her normal cheerful self.

"And you haven't had a death in the family recently?" Brock asked finally.

Ash and May exchanged glances before both shaking their heads. "Nope. All my relatives are alive and well." Ash said, sitting up straight on the couch again. May scooted closer to him and rested her head on his shoulder.

"I don't really know what else to tell you." Brock said with an honest shrug. "The few times I've been depressed... It was because I couldn't get a woman to like me... Is that your problem?"

Cynthia scowled and smacked Brock's leg with the back of her hand. "What do you mean, asking a question like that?" She scolded him. "He happens to be married to May, if you don't recall!"

Brock looked at Cynthia for a moment before bowing his head. "She's right, I'm sorry." he apologized, looking up at the brunette.

May put on a smile and nodded. "Oh it's no big deal." she said, but his suggestion began to stir her previous suspicions once again. She did her best to keep a smile on her face though, not wanting the others to worry.

"So moving on to brighter topics." Ash began with a small chuckle. "What have you guys been up to?" he asked Brock and Cynthia.

"Oh! That reminds me, we have the most exciting news." Cynthia said, patting her stomach. "We have a child on the way."

May gasped. "Really? That's great!" She said excitedly. Ash could already tell that this was going to turn into girl talk. He sighed and stood up, motioning for Brock to follow him into the kitchen.

"Sorry, I just can't stand it when they have conversations like this." Ash said with a slight laugh as they walked into the kitchen. He spun around and sat on the counter. "It's like they just saw a new Twilight movie... Times ten."

Brock smiled and grabbed an apple out of a fruit bowl. He tossed it to Ash, who was quick to catch it. "Yeah, Cynthia's really excited about it though." he said. "She loves taking care of my siblings as much as I do. She's thrilled that we're going to have our own child."

"She sure changed a lot since she was the Sinnoh Champ..." Ash said, taking a loud bite from his apple.

"We all have." Brock said, taking another apple from the bowl and biting into it.

"So do you know if the child is a boy or a girl?" Ash asked, taking another bite of his apple.

Brock shook his head. "No. I want to know what it is, but Cynthia wants to keep it a surprise." he said, taking a deep breath. "Did May ever want to keep a baby's gender a surprise?"

Ash laughed. "May? She begs me to tell her what her Christmas present is every year." Ash said, still chuckling. "She wouldn't be able to stand to keep it a surprise."

* * *

"You want to keep it a surprise?" May asked, a flabbergasted expression on her face. "But why?"

Cynthia smiled and thought for a moment. "It adds to the thrill of it all." she explained. "The mystery behind the gender makes it exciting."

May's brow furrowed in confusion. "Ugh, that would drive me crazy." May admitted, rubbing her scalp.

...

"May... Is something wrong?" Cynthia asked. She stood up and walked over to the couch May was sitting on, and placing herself down next to her.

...

May remained quiet for a second, before sighing in defeat. "Um... I-I've been thinking about Ash's depression." May stammered, feeling a little embarrassed. "What if... What if what Brock said before was true?"

Cynthia gasped and laid a hand on May's shoulder. "You can't think that way." She insisted. "Ash loves you more than anything in the world!"

May averted her gaze to the ground. "I-I know... I'm sure he does..." she said. "But the other day I saw him interacting with Misty... And I could only-"

"You can't say things like that." Cynthia said calmly, her soft tone comforting May. "You mustn't even think things like that."

...

May took a deep breath. "You're right..." She said, smiling confidently at Cynthia. "I'm just worried."

"There's no need to be worried." Cynthia assured her. "You're a wonderful, beautiful young woman. Ash wouldn't give you up for the world."

Suddenly, the front door swung open. In a frenzy, Flint and Pikachu dashed into the house.

"Grandpa is hurt!"

* * *

Old age sure takes its toll. It's rather funny. It can even bring the most powerful man to his knees. It's the sixth stage of the seven ages of man, as Shakespeare would say, "the lean and slipper'd pantaloon."

Giovanni let out a groan as he laid in the cool grass. Amy was kneeling beside him, worry written all over her face. "The old grey mare... She ain't what she used to be." Giovanni grunted with a painful chuckle. He had been playing hide and seek with the children, when his back suddenly went out.

"Don't worry, Grampa." Amy said comfortingly. "Flint will be back with Daddy in no time."

"Looks like he's finally useful for something." he joked, taking a deep breath. Amy found his statement amusing and laughed.

"Dad!"

Giovanni rolled his head to his side to see Ash and Brock running over to him, Flint and Pikachu were hot on their heels. Ash quickly knelt down by his father, panting from the run. "Are you okay?" he asked, concern laced in his voice.

"I've been better..." Giovanni grunted. "My back went out, could you help me up?"

Ash and Brock were quick to assist the aging man up, gently getting him back up on his feet. Ash wrapped Giovanni's arm around his shoulder to support him. Together, they began to make their way back to Brock's house.

"Will Grandpa be okay?" Flint asked his dad. He seemed to be quite concerned.

Ash and Giovanni exchanged glances. "Yeah, he'll be fine." Ash said with a comforting smile. He was pleased to see the concern Flint showed. He cared a lot for his grandfather.

They arrived to the house, where they sat Giovanni down on the couch. "Just rest here, Dad. You'll feel better in no time." Ash said, patting his father on the shoulder.

May peeked around the corner and into the room, seeing Ash and Brock had returned with Giovanni. She disappeared around the corner for a moment before stepping into the room, a tea cup in her hand.

"Are you okay, Giovanni?" She asked, walking over to him.

The man chuckled and sat back in the soft couch. "I've had better days." he said simply.

May smiled softly and held the tea out. "Cynthia brewed you some tea." she said. "It should make you feel better."

Giovanni thanked May as he took the tea cup, taking a sip of the warm tea. He hummed in satisfaction and smirked. "Tell Cynthia it's splendid," he said before taking another sip of the tea.

Brock playfully nudged May. "Well, he came back in one piece." he joked quietly.

May rolled her eyes. "Barely."

* * *

The clinks of silverware and plates could be heard around the dinner table at the Harrison residence, along with the shouting of children.

"Have a boy!"

"Have a girl!"

"Have a BOY!"

"Have a GIRL!"

Flint and Amy were shouting at Cynthia, who had just informed them she was expecting. The two couldn't quite come to an agreement on the gender she was supposed to "decide" she would have.

"Both of you cut it out!" May shouted fiercely.

"BOY!"

"GIRL!"

"BOOOOY!"

"GIIIIRL!"

They paid no heed to May, infuriating the woman more. She stood up from the table and grabbed them both by the ears, dragging them out of the room as they both yelped in pain.

...

"Sorry about that." Ash muttered, taking a bite of his burger. "I don't think they're familiar with how giving birth goes."

Cynthia laughed as she poked her salad with a fork. "Apparently not," she agreed.

"I can see their vocal cords are in fine condition." Brock said as be twirled his pinkie around in his ear.

Ash chuckled and nodded. "They get lots of practice." he assured them.

"Pika..." Pikachu agreed with a sigh, pulling down his ears. He was sitting on the ground next to a bottle of ketchup.

Flint and Amy silently returned to the dinner table with May. They both apologized to Cynthia for shouting at her. With that, they sat down at their seats and resumed eating.

...

"Where do babies come from?" Amy asked suddenly, causing May to almost spit out her food.

Brock leaned forward and rested his arm on the table, a smirk on his face as he looked at Amy. "Well, when a man and a woman are deeply in love-"

"Brock, shut up!" May interrupted. "Ash, where do babies come from?"

"Wait. Why am I answering this?" he asked, pointing to himself.

"You're a battler, you can think fast and effectively!" May insisted.

"Says the coordinator." Ash replied, gesturing to May.

"Think fast about what?" Flint questioned, looking back and forth from his mother to his father.

Brock spoke up again, "You're parents are going to lie- Hey!" He was cut off from a slap on the arm by Cynthia.

"Lie?" Amy asked.

May huffed and gestured to Ash, "Yeah, well I got nothing! So improvise!"

Amy was now even more confused. "What's an improvise?"

"A baby, comes from a Swanna." Ash explained to his children. "At night, it flies the babies to the parents' doorstep, and they take care of the baby."

"A Swanna named Virginity?" Giovanni muttered quietly, chuckling to himself.

"Yes... Wait- NO!" Ash exclaimed. May sighed and face palmed.

" What?" Brock asked, clearly confused as to what was going on.

Flint sat up straighter, anxious to answer. "Grampa took Virginity." Flint explained to Brock. "It was Gramma's."

...

"Wrong choice of words, Flint..." Ash sighed, rubbing his scalp. "Wrong choice of words..."

* * *

Like when they had visited the Oaks, the time had come to part ways with the Harrisons. They all stood outside of the large house the two stayed in as the Ketchums prepared to leave.

To Ash, the day had gone by far too quickly. He couldn't believe the sun had already set behind the buildings of Pewter City. Now, the sky had grown to be a shade of dark orange, and a chilly evening breeze blew through the air.

"Still can't believe you almost spilled the beans about the birds and the bees to my children." Ash said with a laugh as he shook Brock's hands. "But I should have expected that from you."

"Birds and bees?" Flint asked.

...

Ash glared at Brock and pointed. "Not a word." he told him.

Meanwhile, May and Cynthia embraced, saying their final goodbyes. "Remember what I told you." Cynthia said quietly as they let go of each other. "You have no reason to worry."

May nodded and smiled. "You're right. I've got nothing to worry about." she said.

Easier said than done.

Cynthia turned to Flint and Amy, "You two behave yourselves." Cynthia said, kneeling down next to them. She smiled and hugged them both.

"And make sure to pet a Swanna next time you see one." Brock said with a smirk, walking over and ruffling the children's hair. Cynthia rolled her eyes at Brock's comment.

"Just shut up, Brock."

* * *

**Read the next chapter on the ADVanvers forums!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Meet the Maples**

* * *

"Two antennas met on a roof, fell in love and got married. The ceremony wasn't much, but the reception was excellent."

"I swear, Ash, if you don't call Devon Corp. soon, I'm going to kill Chatot." May growled as she gripped the arm rests of her chair, her knuckles white.

Ash chuckled. "He's really driving you that crazy?" he asked.

"You cannot technically _'kill' _me. I am a program." Chatot said.

May crossed her arms. "I can turn you off." she replied smartly.

...

"That wouldn't be very nice."

* * *

Giovanni was walking down to his room, hands in his pockets when he saw May step out into the hall. She smiled as she approached the elderly man. "Good morning, Giovanni," she said, walking by.

Giovanni nodded to her as they passed each other. "Indeed, lovely weather today." he said, causing him and May to stop walking.

...

"You know, May." Giovanni said, turning around and walking over to her. "In my many years of leadership experience, I've learned a great deal about reading people's emotions."

May stiffened and her brow furrowed. "I don't understand..."

Giovanni stepped in front of her and looked her in the eye. "Something's bothering you and something's bothering Ash." he said. "I don't need to be a rocket scientist to see it."

May looked around before letting out a sigh of defeat. "It's a long story." She said, sticking her hands in her pockets as she began to walk away.

"Well, Hoenn is a long way away." Giovanni said, a smirk on his face. "We have time."

Suddenly the pyramid began to rumble. May and Giovanni could feel their weight shift as the pyramid began to lift off. "Destination is four hours away, as the Honchcrow flies." Chatot said, its voice echoing down the hall.

...

"Okay... Fine..." May sighed. She gestured Giovanni to follow her. They walked down the hall and turned a corner before stepping into the pyramid's living room.

They sat down opposite of each other on the comfortable couches. Giovanni looked at May and propped his cane up against the couch. "So what's going on?" He asked, leaning forward in his seat.

...

"Ash has been going through a strange depression." May finally confessed. "We can't figure out why. He doesn't know, and his therapist can't tell him."

Giovanni raised a brow, finding himself intrigued. "You don't have any idea as to why?" he asked.

...

May averted her gazed down to the floor, unable to look at Giovanni. "I have a theory." she said. Her eyes were already beginning to water at the thought. The idea hurt her so much. "I-it's just that... What if... It's because of me?"

Giovanni sat up straighter, surprised by what she said. "What do you mean?" he asked, sitting back in his seat and crossing his arms over his chest.

May wiped her eye with the back of her hand, shaking her head. "It's nothing... Just... Back in Cerulean City, I saw him interacting with Misty." she began to explain. "They swam with the children and had fun. He seemed so happy..."

Giovanni's brow furrowed and he scratched his chin. "You're jumping to conclusions." he told her. "You're just paranoid."

"But what if I'm not!" May exclaimed. She quickly covered her mouth, realizing her outburst. "I'm sorry." she whispered. "That was uncalled for."

Giovanni sighed and smiled weakly. "It's fine." He said before gesturing to the door. "Now go. Go spend some time with Ash. Maybe it'll make you both feel better."

…

May closed her eyes and smiled a little. "You're right." She said. She opened her eyes and looked at Giovanni, putting on a grin. "I'm going to go spend time with Ash."

Giovanni smiled, and it wasn't one of his amused or relaxed smiles. It was a genuine smile. May's eyes widened as she looked at the grin on his face. She could see such a resemblance to Ash. She remembered the smile Ash had on his face while he was dreaming a few nights ago. Giovanni had that smile.

"What?" Giovanni asked, noticing that May was staring at him. In his confused expression, the familiar grin disappeared, snapping May back to her senses.

"Nothing," May quickly waved it off.

* * *

"May? What are we doing?" Ash asked as his wife pulled him down the hall. She had dragged him to the second to the top floor of the pyramid, only below the storage room or "attic".

They reached the end of the hall, were a large, metal, round door was. Ash's eyes widened when he saw where they were. "Wow, it's been a while... Hasn't it?" he said as May pulled the latch and opened the door.

"It's been too long." May said with a grin, pulling the door open. Her husband stepped through the door, stopping part way and reaching out for her hand. May smiled and took his hand, letting him guide her into the room.

The room was completely empty except for two bean bags. Two entire walls were huge windows, through which gave them a view of miles upon miles.

"Shall I?" Ash asked, glancing at a button by the door. May nodded, so Ash pressed the button. With a whirl, the windows began to slide away.

The room had been designed by Ash for himself and May. He wanted to have a secret place that not even Amber, Flint, or Amy knew about. It was where he and May could relax, undisturbed, not even Chatot would speak to them from there unless its reason was of most importance. Pikachu knew about it, but not even he was allowed inside. The beanbags reflected Ash and May's still childish natures. Even as adults, there was nothing quite like sitting in a comfy bean bag chair to them. At night, after the children went to bed, they would often go up to their secret room to watch the stars and enjoy each other's company.

"Why don't we come up here more often?" Ash asked as he flopped down in a beanbag chair. May did the same.

May laughed and scooted her chair closer to him. "I don't know." she said, grabbing a hold of his hand.

In the daylight, there weren't stars to watch, just miles upon miles of clouds. The side of the pyramid they were on was on the opposite side of the direction of the wind, so they weren't blasted by gusts of air.

"So is there a particular reason we're up here?" Ash asked, looking at May. "Do you have something to tell me?"

May shook her head. "Nope." she assured him.

"You're not gonna talk about expenses or ask me to buy you something?" He asked. His eyes suddenly widened. "You're not pregnant again, are you?"

May threw her head back and laughed. She had told Ash about expecting both Flint and Amy in this room. "No, I'm not." she assured him.

"Then what is it?" Ash asked, not taking his eyes off May.

May scoffed and looked away from him. "Can we not come up here and spend time together without a reason?" she asked.

Ash took his cap off and ran his fingers through his hair. "Point taken..." He muttered.

...

...

...

"But for real, why are we up here?" Ash asked. May face palmed and shook her head. "Hey, I just want to know. We haven't been up here in ages, why now?"

"For the same reason we used to." May stated. "To get away from it all, to spend time together."

Ash smiled slightly at her. It wasn't the same smile she longed to see though. "Thanks, May," Ash said, readjusting himself in his beanbag chair. "This depression has been eating away at me, I need this."

The two remained silent a minute before Ash once again looked at May. "Just double checking, you're not pregnant again, right?"

* * *

The trip to Hoenn was a longer one. The pyramid had to fly across several other regions before finally reaching the one known for its warmth and sunshine. When it finally reached its destination, it settled down outside of Petalburg City, home of the famous member of the Elite Four: Norman Maple.

The large double doors at the base of the pyramid opened, allowing for Flint and Amy to dash out.

"Uh, remind me, who are we visiting again?" Giovanni asked as he watched the children run off.

"The Maples," Ash said casually, stepping out of the pyramid. He looked back to see Giovanni still looked confused. "May's family," he added.

"Ah," Giovanni said, pressing down on the fedora on his head so the wind didn't blow it away. "It's warmer here." He stated.

"Yep, that's Hoenn for you." May said with a laugh. "It's always warmer here."

Suddenly, the thumping of footsteps could be heard. Ash planted his feet on the ground and braced for impact. A young girl, around the age of ten, ran passed Flint and Amy. She made a beeline for Ash and tackled him.

"What's up, Maggie?" Ash said with a laugh. The girl had straight black hair and blue eyes, and only came up to about Ash's shoulders. On her head, was a familiar looking cap. Giovanni recognized it from somewhere.

"Who's this?" Giovanni asked May as Ash and the girl embraced.

"My sister," May answered back. Giovanni raised a brow. "My parents had another child after Ash and I got married." she explained.

"I got my first Pokémon!" Maggie said excitedly. She let go of Ash and backed up a little.

"What? I don't get any love?" May asked, holding her arms out for a hug. Maggie smiled and embraced her sister as well.

"Where have I seen that hat?" Giovanni asked, as he examined the girl.

"That's my old hat from Kanto." Ash said with a fond smile on his face. The hat brought back so many memories.

Maggie let go of May and looked at Giovanni. "Er... Who's this?" She asked. She typically was friendly to everyone, but Giovanni seemed a bit scary to her.

"This is my father Giovanni." Ash said, gesturing to him. "Giovanni, this is my young sister-in-law Maggie."

Giovanni stuck out his hand. "It's a pleasure to meet you." he said. Maggie glanced down at the hand and awkwardly shook it.

"Come on! I want to show you my new Pokémon!" Maggie said once she let go of Giovanni's hand, she grabbed Ash and pulled him towards the house.

"She'll get used to you. Don't worry." May assured Giovanni as she watched Maggie drag Ash away. The two began to stroll towards the house that sat in the distance.

"So tell me a little bit about your family." Giovanni said. "I don't know anything about them."

May took a deep breath and thought for a moment, wondering where to begin. "Well, my father used to be a gym leader here. He trained normal type Pokémon." She began. "But when he was asked to join the elite four, he gave the responsibility of the gym to my mother, who now runs it."

"Your father must be a skilled battler." Giovanni said.

May smiled and nodded. "Yeah, not as good as Ash, though." She said. "Then there's Max, my younger brother. He's training to become a Pokémon Professor."

"A Professor?" Giovanni asked.

May laughed as she thought about it. "All those years, he thought he was going to be into battling." She said. "After he had a go at the league, he decided he wasn't really into it."

"Life's full of surprises." Giovanni said.

"And then there's my really young sister, Maggie." May said. "She looks up to Ash a lot. She wants to become a frontier brain someday, just like him."

* * *

Maggie threw open the door to the front of her house and excitedly pulled Ash inside with her. "Come on!" she said, racing up the stairs.

Ash turned towards the living room to see Flint and Amy hugging Mrs. Maple. "Oh, hello, Ash," the woman said when she saw Ash standing in her foyer.

"Hello Caro-ACK!" Ash began to say before being cut off. Maggie grabbed his shirt and began to pull him up the stairs.

They reached the second floor of the house and made their way down the hall. Maggie grabbed the doorknob to her room, twisted it, and pushed the door open.

Ash peeked in. The room was familiar to him, as he had been in there several times. It was May's old room, but the walls had been painted blue. She had several posters of different Pokémon hanging on the wall, and a large bed in the corner of the room. Fast asleep on the bed was a large purple Pokémon. It was sprawled out on the bed with a large tongue hanging from its mouth.

"Gengar! Wake up!" Maggie exclaimed, clapping her hands a few times.

The ghost type on the bed snapped awake, its red eyes opening. Maggie rushed to the side of the bed, sitting Gengar up. "Ash's here!" she said excitedly.

Gengar glanced at Ash before his eyes widened and it took in a gasp. "Gengar?" it asked in disbelief.

"Yeah! In the flesh!"

"Is he a fan?" Ash asked. Gengar flew off of the bed and raced at Ash. The trainer let out a yelp as the ghost type collided with him and embraced him, causing him to fly backwards and hit the ground with a thud.

"Just a little," Maggie replied with a giggle as the Gengar hugged him tighter.

* * *

May knocked on the front door of her old home, letting out a deep breath and smiling. "So many memories," she said.

The door opened, revealing the familiar woman May knew and loved. "Oh, May!" She said happily, stepping forward and hugging May.

"Mom!" May replied, hugging her back. "I've missed you so much!"

"I've missed you too, dear." Her mother replied. She let go of her daughter and gestured for them to step inside. "Well who's this?" She asked, turning to Giovanni.

"This is Ash's father Giovanni." May said, introducing the two to each other. "Giovanni, this is my mother Caroline."

"Another member to add to the family," Caroline said with a happy sigh. "The more to merrier, I always say."

She walked over to the staircase and shouted up it. "Max! Get your tail downstairs! Your sister's here!" She shouted.

Suddenly, they heard a yelp and a thud.

"Gengar!"

Caroline rolled her eyes and shouted up the stairs again. "Gengar! Settle down!" she shouted.

"Sorry, Mom!" Maggie shouted back.

Caroline sighed and ran her hair through her hair. "Well make yourselves at home. I was just fixing lunch." She said, stepping into the kitchen. "Gi, are you allergic to anything? I don't want to accidentally kill you because you're allergic to peanuts."

Giovanni twitched at the nickname before shaking his head. "There's nothing to worry about." he assured her.

Ash stumbled down the stairs, Maggie and a sheepish Gengar following behind him. May raised a brow when she saw Ash, who looked about ready to fall over. "What did you do to him?" she asked as she grabbed him to help keep him steady.

Maggie shrugged. "Gengar just got a little excited." she said plainly.

"Whoa! You have a Gengar?" Flint asked when he walked into the room. "That's so cool!" he tried to pet the Gengar, but his hand went through the ghost's body.

Everyone turned when they heard the front door open again. Smiles grew across Flint and Amy's faces when they saw their other grandfather step into the house.

"Grandpa!" Flint exclaimed. He and his sibling rushed to the older man, hugging both his legs.

Norman Maple replied to their greeting warmly and crouched down to embrace them both.

"Hey, Grandpa! Meet other Grandpa!" Amy said as she dragged Norman over to Giovanni.

"Other Grandpa? I didn't know you-" Norman began, but stopped when he saw Ash standing next to Giovanni. He could easily see the resemblance.

"Well hello there." Norman said, sticking out his hand. "I'm Norman Maple, May's father."

Giovanni smirked and shook Norman's hand. "I'm Giovanni, Ash's father."

"Ahem." May coughed, trying to get her father's attention. As he had grown old, his attention span had shrunk.

The elite four member turned to his daughter and smiled warmly. Greetings were exchanged amongst other family members before they were all called for dinner.

* * *

May felt a little strange. On her left side sat her husband, which was perfectly normal. On her right side sat a purple ghost, who was nibbling away at a chicken wing. May had never gotten familiar with ghost types, so she felt a little uncomfortable.

"So... Gengar eats at the table?" May asked, scooting her seat away from the Pokémon slightly.

Maggie nodded, sitting on the opposite side of Gengar. "Isn't it great? We're teaching him to be a gentleman."

"Gen Gengar?" Gengar asked.

"Yes, I'd be happy to pass the salt." Maggie replied, grabbing the salt shaker and handing it to Gengar. "See? He's a Gentleman!"

"I... See..." May said.

**"URRRRRRP!"**Gengar let out a loud burp.

"We're still working on a few things." Maggie admitted.

May just sighed and shook her head. Gengar noticed this, his ears drooping.

"So Ash, May told us about you depression over the phone a while ago." Norman began. "I was thinking we could duke it out in a Pokémon battle to get that energetic spirit of yours back out."

Ash smiled and shrugged. "Can't tell you how many times I've tried that, but thanks for the offer." he said.

"Maybe, but this will be different. You'll be battling an elite four member." Norman explained. "And to make things even more interesting, I was thinking we'd have a tag battle: you and May versus me and Caroline."

Max's eyes widened. "Whoa! That would be the battle of the century!" he said excitedly.

Ash looked up from his food with keen interest. "That does sound fun." Ash admitted. "I'd be willing to give it a shot."

* * *

"This will be a two on two tag battle between Team Elite Four Member Norman Maple and Gym Leader Caroline Maple up against Team Pyramid King Ash Ketchum and Top Coordinator May Ketchum." Max said, acting as the referee of the battle.

"That's a mouthful." Maggie muttered from the sidelines, where she, Flint, Amy, Gengar, Pikachu, and Giovanni sat.

"Each team send out their Pokémon." Max said, throwing his right hand up into the air.

Ash dropped a Pokéball in May's hand before sending out his Pokémon.

"Regirock! I choose you!" Ash declared as he sent out his legendary Pokémon.

"Slaking! Go!" Norman shouted as he threw his Pokéball into the air.

"Um..." May grunted as she sent out her Pokémon, unsure of who Ash had given her. A large steel type appeared on the field. "Registeel! Take the stage!"

"Go! Exploud!" Caroline exclaimed as she released her Pokémon.

The four Pokémon appeared on the field, ready for battle. "This is going to be so epic." Flint said excitedly.

"Begin!" Max said, beginning the match.

"Fire Fang on Registeel!" Caroline ordered.

"Metal Claw on Slaking!" May shouted, pointing at the lazy normal type on the field.

"Use Counter!" Norman said.

"Iron Defense!" Ash exclaimed.

Exploud and Registeel lunged forward. Exploud's fangs set on fire as Regirock flashed, signaling the Iron Defense had taken effect. The normal type bit down on Regirock's arm before flinching. Seconds later, it's teeth shattered.

Slaking began to glow as Registeel charged at it. May knew what her father was up to, and called the attack off.

"Registeel, abort and also use Iron Defense!" She said. Registeel obeyed and halted the attack. It too flashed, signaling its defense had risen. Slaking's glow wore off.

"Metal Claw!" May shouted again. Before Norman could call a new attack, Registeel swiped down and scratched Slaking.

"Throw Exploud in the air and use Hyper Beam!" Ash said. Regirock also obeyed and grabbed Exploud, swinging it around before tossing it into the air and firing a Hyper Beam at it. The attack nailed Exploud and sent the normal type flying.

"May! Regirock needs to recharge!" Ash said.

May nodded in understanding. "Registeel! Protect Regirock from Slaking!" she said.

"Chip Away on Regirock!" Norman ordered, using the move that ignored defense boosts. Slaking jumped up in the air and attempted to leap over Registeel, but the steel type intervened. It grabbed him by the foot before slamming him into the ground.

"Hyper Voice!" Caroline exclaimed.

"Protect!" May countered.

Exploud threw his head back before letting out a horribly loud screech. Before the attack could deal damage, Registeel created a green protective shield around itself and Regirock.

"Double Team!" Caroline ordered. Exploud nodded and began to execute the move. Playing tricks on the eye, Exploud seemed to duplicate itself several times, and all its clones surrounded the two regis.

"Lock On!" Ash said, he always made sure to have a counter for evasive moves. Regirock's "eyes" flashed, locking onto the real Exploud. "Stone Edge!"

Regirock formed several razor sharp stones and fired them at one of the Explouds. The rocks slammed against the normal type, brutally sending it flying backwards. When it hit the ground, it was clearly knocked out.

"Exploud is unable to battle!" Max said.

Caroline smiled sadly before returning her injured Pokémon. "Looks like it's up to you." She told Norman.

"Alright! Let's finish this!" Ash exclaimed.

Norman smirked. "Not quite, while you two were busy dealing with Exploud, Slaking has been restoring his health with Slack Off." he explained.

Ash smirked as well and adjusted his cap. "It only delays our victory by a few minutes." he said confidently.

"If you say so. Slaking, use Yawn!" Norman said. Slaking let out a yawn, forming a blur bubble. The bubble floated across the field and hit Registeel. The effect kicked in and Registeel fell asleep.

"Looks like things are little more even now!" Norman said, cracking his knuckles.

"Bring it on. Regirock! Brick Break!" Ash exclaimed. Regirock charged at Slaking, its right arm raised and glowing. It performed a karate chop on Slaking, causing the normal type to stumble backwards.

"Use Counter!" Norman shouted. Slaking began to glow before it charged at Regirock.

"Dodge and Brick Break!" Ash said.

Regirock leapt to the side, evading the attack. As Slaking flew by, it once again hit it with Brick Break.

Slaking hit the ground and slid to a halt. It was clearly knocked out. "Slaking is unable to battle. The victory goes to Team Pyramid King Ash Ketchum and Top Coordinator May Ketchum." Max announced.

Ash and May turned to each other and smiled. "I forgot how good of a team we were." May said.

Ash grinned and nodded. "Yeah, we did great together." he agreed as he recalled Registeel and Regirock.

The two adults leaned towards each other and kissed before Norman and Caroline walked over to them. "Well Ash, how are you feeling?" Norman asked.

Ash smiled sadly. "The battle took my mind off things for the time it lasted..." he admitted.

Norman sighed and scratched the back of his head. "I must say, those Regis are a skillful bunch. Caroline and I didn't stand a chance against them from the start." he stated. "You have some real power in your hands."

Ash smiled and nodded. "Tell me about it."

* * *

May sat comfortably on the couch in her family's living room. At the table, Giovanni and Norman were playing a game of chess while Flint and Pikachu watched. There was a bored look in their eyes. Amy and Maggie were nowhere to be seen while Ash was helping Caroline wash dishes.

"Gar?"

May jumped a little at the sudden appearance of the purple ghost type by her side. She turned and looked at it and was surprised to see it wearing a top hat, in its right hand it balanced a tray with two cups of tea.

"What on earth?" She asked in surprise.

"Mom, Gengar is performing gentleman!" Amy told her in a hushed voice. She and Maggie were watching Gengar from the hall.

"Performing gentleman?" May asked. Gengar held the tray up to her expectantly. Still unsure, May grasped one of the cups on hot tea from the tray.

Gengar then grabbed the second cup before throwing the tray over his shoulder. The metal tray clattered against the floor noisily.

"Remember to set things down gently." Maggie reminded him. Gengar nodded and picked up the tray, just to set it on the floor again gently.

With that the ghost type took a seat next to May on the couch she sat on. He held out the cup with a familiar grin.

May smiled gently before clinching her cup against his. With that, she took a sip of her tea. She quickly retracted the hot liquid before it burnt her tongue.

"Careful, the tea is-"

"GENGAR!" Gengar shouted in pain as he took a swig of the tea.

"-Hot."

"Gehehehegaaaar..." Gengar cried as he wiped his tongue with his hands, trying to get the "burn" off.

May smiled comfortingly, patting the Gengar's back. "You did good." she assured him, impressed with his attempt to be a gentleman. Gengar's ears perked up at this and his smile return.

"Gengar!" He said cheerfully, getting off the couch and taking a bow. He had gained May's approval.

* * *

"So who are you going off to visit next?" Caroline asked as she handed Ash a dish to dry.

"We're meeting up with Amber." Ash told her, taking the dish before running it with a towel. "I haven't seen her in person since she left on her trip through Hoenn."

Caroline smiled. "Maybe seeing your other daughter will raise your spirits." she said, glancing into the living room to see May talking with Maggie, Amy, and Gengar. "Seeing her always raises mine."

Ash chuckled nervously. "Well, she left on her last journey with some unfinished disagreements between her and May." he admitted.

Caroline looked at him with surprise and handed him another dish. "Really? Over what?" she asked.

Ash let out a long sigh. "A relationship."

* * *

**I accidentally deleted a chapter that I was writing and had to rewrite it again. I always knew that day would come. Lol.**

**Don't forget to be cool and read the next chapter of Life as a King which is already up on the ADVancers Forums.**


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6: Meet the Ketchums Part 3**

* * *

Ash sat before the mother board of the pyramid. His eyes were on the large touch screen as he scrolled through different functions. He found the icon with a phone on it and tapped it. The screen changed and a three by four key pad appeared. He dialed in a nine digit number that appeared on the large screen before him.

"Pika pika pikachu." Pikachu said. The yellow rodent sat in his trainer's lap, watching as he dialed the number.

"Yeah, it has been a while." Ash agreed. He finished putting in the number and tapped the call button. A ringing could be heard as the two waited patiently for the phone to be picked up.

The large screen changed and the ever familiar smiling face appeared. "Hello, this is Nurse Joy from the Slateport City Pokémon Center. How may I be of service?" She said, her pink hair swayed as she tilted her head charmingly.

"Hey, Nurse Joy," Ash greeted.

"Oh! Pyramid King!" She said with surprise, bowing her head in respect. "It's an honor to meet you."

"Please, call me Ash." he said. After all these years, he had never grown used to people treating him with so much respect. "Is Amber Ketchum there? I'd like to speak with her."

The Nurse Joy smiled. "You're in luck. She just came in. I'll go get her for you."

"Thanks." Ash said with a grin. A song began to play as he was put on hold. He and Pikachu patiently waited for Amber's face to appear on the screen.

The music stopped and the screen changed. Light filled the room as a young girl's bright face appeared on the screen.

She had long, straight, brown hair that matched her chocolate colored eyes. A bright smile stretched across her face. "Hey, Dad!" she said cheerfully.

"Tote!"

Sitting on the girl's shoulder was a small, blue, reptilian Pokémon. Like it's trainer, it had a wide grin on it's face.

"Hey, Amber, Totodile." he greeted the two. "How are you doing?"

Amber's expression changed as her eyes filled with determination. "Great! I got my third gym badge just yesterday!" she said proudly. "Grandma is next!"

"Three already?" Ash asked with surprise. "That's great! At this rate, you'll get all your badges in no time."

The girl blushed at the compliment. "Thanks, Dad," she said.

"Anyways," Ash began. He reached down and began to scratch behind Pikachu's ear, earning a coo from the Pokémon. "We've been out on a little road trip, and thought we would stop by Slateport City and come see you."

Amber nodded. "Yeah, that sounds cool." she said. Her smile sudden disappeared. "Wait... Is Mom still, Um... You know..."

"Is Mom still what?"

Ash sunk in his seat at the sound of his wife's voice. "Oh boy..."

"You're not still together with Blaze, are you?" May asked as she walked deeper into the room.

"May... Please..." Ash tried to calm her down.

Amber scowled. "Yes, mother. I am still with him." she said.

"I told you that you needed to break up with him by the next time we called." May said. She crossed her arms over her chest, looking as equally displeased as Amber. "That was a month ago."

"Yeah? Well I'm out on my own, now." Amber shot back. Totodile looked a bit angry as well "You can't completely rule over my life!"

Pikachu leapt out of Ash's lap and scurried out of the room. He was never fond of listening to arguments.

"You're only twelve years old!" May exclaimed. "We as parents have to set boundaries."

"Well too bad." Amber said.

"How dare you speak to me that way!" May shouted.

"Hey, listen, I'm hanging up now." Ash said quickly. "See you this afternoon Amber, bye."

"Dad, wait-" Amber said before being cut off. The screen went black.

...

"Excellent job, dear," Ash said, standing up in his seat. He let out a sigh and ran his hand through his hair. "I just wanted to visit Amber without there being any tension. Although it looks like that won't be happening now."

With that, he walked out of the room. May stood still for a moment, letting what had just happened sink in. As a tingle of guilt hit her, she flopped into the chair Ash had been previously sitting in. She sniffed and wiped her eyes.

"Pika?"

May looked down on the floor to see Pikachu sadly looking up at her. "Hey, Pikachu," she said. She lifted the mouse up off the floor and place him on her lap. He often came to her to cheer her up if she and Ash had a fight.

She never knew why he came to her. Although Pikachu would never tell, Ash would always send him in to comfort her.

"I do the stupidest things sometimes." May muttered to Pikachu.

"Pika kachu." Pikachu said, nuzzling her stomach with his head. Although she couldn't understand Pikachu like Ash could, she knew he was encouraging her.

"Thanks, Pikachu." She sighed, hugging the rodent tightly.

* * *

Ash leaned against the wall outside the room May was in. He wanted to go in and apologize for speaking the way he had, but he felt it wasn't the right time. He sighed and began to walk down the hall, feeling depressed and guilty. He laid his hand on the door into the dining room and gave it a gentle push. He found his father in his usual morning spot. Giovanni sat at the dining room table with his morning cup of coffee and newspaper.

He glanced up at Ash and smirked. "Oh my." he said. "Not even my cellmates woke up in the morning looking that bad."

Ash snorted and plopped himself down on one of the seats. He let out a groan before laying his head down on the table.

"What's the matter?" Giovanni asked. "Watch another episode of Jersey Shore?"

Ash shook his head. "No, just a little less worse." he grumbled. "Have you ever seen a hurricane coming, but you knew you couldn't run from it?"

"No."

"Well this is a hurricane with rain and wind and fire balls..."

Giovanni took a sip of his coffee and set the cup down. "Now what could possibly be so bad?" he asked.

"It's a long story..." Ash grumbled.

"A long story?" Giovanni asked. "You mean, Your daughter is in love with a boy, but your wife is against the relationship. Now whenever they see each other all they do is fight?"

Ash gave him a surprised expression. "H-how-?"

"Amy is quite a snitch."

* * *

May gazed at the large monitor as she typed in the coordinates to Slateport City. Pikachu watched from her lap.

May finished inputting the coordinates, but hesitated to press the button that would launch the pyramid into the sky and towards the city.

"Would you like to hear a joke?" Chatot asked.

"Shut up." May snapped, pressing the button.

* * *

The pyramid began to rumble. "We're now heading towards Slateport City." Chatot's voice echoed around the pyramid, announcing take off.

The trip wasn't very long, due to Slateport City not being too far off from Petalburg City. Before long, the large vehicle was casting a large shadow over the city that sat next to the sapphire blue ocean.

Young Amber Ketchum opened her eyes as the sun was blocked out by the pyramid. She laid on the beach on a warm towel, bathing in the sun. To her right was her faithful water type starter: Totodile. To her left was a young boy with bright red eyes and fire red hair. The boy's name was Blaze, and he was Amber's current traveling partner and boyfriend.

"Looks like your family is here." Blaze said with a smirk.

"Yeah, Dad is such a show off with that pyramid." Amber replied, sitting up.

"Tooote." Totodile yawned as he stretched. He too sat up.

"I'd do the same thing if I were the Pyramid King." The boy said, also rising to a sitting position. "We should probably pack up and greet them."

"You do realize Mom still doesn't like you, right?" Amber asked. Totodile climbed up her leg and onto her shoulder as she began to roll up the towels and pack their things.

"Yeah." Blaze admitted. "But at the same time, I feel like this is my chance to prove to her that I'm a good guy."

Amber smiled. "I hope you do." she said cheerfully. "Now let's go."

"Tote!" Totodile exclaimed, pointing in the direction the pyramid had gone.

* * *

"We're going to the beach! We're going to the beach!" Amy sang happily as she skipped ahead of the rest of her family. Ash, Pikachu, May, Giovanni, Flint, and Amy had all gotten off the pyramid shortly after it landed, and were now strolling down one of the bustling streets of Slateport City.

"You can really feel that ocean breeze." Ash said, taking in a deep breath of the salty air.

"Pika pika!" Pikachu agreed.

"Hm, indeed." Giovanni said. May remained silent.

"Anyways, we should head to the Pokémon Center. That's probably where Amber and Blaze are hanging out." Ash said. May twitched at the sound of Blaze's name.

"Hey, Dad!"

Ash turned to the sound of the familiar voice and smiled when he saw his oldest daughter running up to him. Totodile was perched on her shoulder and she had a beach bag slung over her shoulder. Behind her ran Blaze, who had several towels tightly tucked under his arm.

"Hey, Amber," Ash said as she ran up to him and hugged him. "Were you just at the beach?" he asked, seeing she was wearing a red bikini.

"Yeah," Amber huffed, catching her breath after running. "We were all getting tans."

By now, the girl's red head companion had caught up, and slowed down to a stop next to Amber. "Hey... Mr... Ketchum..." He huffed, also catching his breath.

"Oh, please. Call me Ash." Ash said. "Mr. Ketchum is my father's name."

Amy's eyes brightened and she grabbed Amber's arm. "Hey, guess what! We got a new grandpa!" she told her older sibling excitedly.

"Wha-?" Amber asked before turning to Giovanni.

The older man put on a smile and stuck out his hand. "A pleasure to finally meet you." he said.

"Amber, this is Giovanni, my long lost father." Ash said. "We've taken him in as part of the family, and he lives on the pyramid with us."

...

Amber stared at Giovanni's hand for a moment, but was snapped back to her senses when Blaze nudged her. "Huh? Oh... I-it's... Uh... Nice to meet you... Too..." she said nervously. Looking up at her tall grandfather made her feel so small.

"Hey, Mrs. Ketchum!" Blaze said cheerfully, trying his best to make a good impression. "Or should I call you May?"

...

May sighed in defeat. "You can... Call me 'May'." she said reluctantly.

* * *

Ash hated listening to May and Amber argue almost as much as he hated watching the Twilight movies.

It was always the same. They would go back and forth until there was a moment of silence. Then Amber would growl in frustration and stomp off.

"No means no! Don't make me say it again!" May exclaimed. The three were by themselves in the battle pyramid. May had pulled Ash and Amber aside to discuss the situation.

"You can't control every element of my life!" Amber exclaimed. "I don't even live at home anymore! You can't go around making stupid rules!"

"We will make rules and you will follow them!" May snapped back. "Regardless of whether you're home or not, you're our responsibility. It's our duty as parents to set guildlines so you don't do anything stupid!"

"But not around my love life!"

"Especially around your love life!"

...

There was a brief moment of silence before Amber let out an angry growl and stomped off.

May watched as her daughter disappeared in the distance before turning to Ash, who had been quietly sitting on the ground with his back up against the wall, listening to the argument. "I don't get it." She said, stepping in front of him. The raven haired man looked up at his wife. "Why don't you back me up on these things?! You just sit here and watch!"

...

"I don't want to take sides." Ash said, letting out a sigh.

_He agrees with Amber, and he doesn't want to tell me._ May thought. _What else is he not telling me?_

"May?" Ash asked curiously as he saw tears beginning to form in her eyes. "Are you okay?"

"T-tell me the truth, Ash." May said, clenching her fist and holding it up to her heart. "Why are you depressed?"

...

Ash thought for a moment. Where was May going with this? Why would she ask that? How did she want him to answer?

"I-is it because of me?"

Ash's eyes widened as he heard her question. He quickly rose to his feet and stood in front of her. "What do you mean?" he asked. He still didn't know exactly what she was getting at.

"Back in Cerulean..." May began. She looked him in the eyes, but she seemed to be gazing off into space. "... You and Misty... You two were in that pool. You seemed so happy, as if your depression had melted and blown away in the wind."

May looked down and wiped her eye before looking up at her husband. "Am I not the one anymore, Ash?" she asked.

Ash wrapped his arms around May and pulled her close, pressing her now crying form up against his body. "That's not true." he said quietly. His comforting whisper tickled the skin on May's neck. "You are the one. I love you more than anything on this planet."

"But-" May tried to protest.

"May, I don't know why I'm depressed." Ash began, tightening his embrace. "But I can promise that you are the only one who holds my heart. You are my other half."

May clenched her eyes shut and finally hugged Ash back, crying harder than before. At the same time, she could feel an enormous wave of relief sweep over her.

"I found a good one this time." Chatot suddenly said, his voice ringing around the hall. "What do you call cheese that isn't yours?"

Ash and May, despite the tears, couldn't help but smile. "Bad timing, Chatot." Ash said.

* * *

Amber sighed as she gazed down at the water just below her feet, her warped reflection moving about as waves passed by. She sat at the edge of a lonely pier, not even Totodile was there to keep her company.

"If I recall correctly, we traveled all this way to see you. Why are you hiding?"

Amber jumped with a start at the sudden sound of the voice. She whirled around to see Giovanni standing over her, his hands in his pocket and a smirk on his face.

Amber turned away from him and focused on the water again. "What are you doing all the way out here?" she asked.

"Oh, I don't know." Giovanni said as he sat down on the pier next her Amber. "Maybe to get to know my granddaughter."

Amber looked at Giovanni for a minute. "Well... My favorite color is blue. I love pizza. I'm afraid of heights." she began to list off things about her. "And I'm in love with Blaze, but my mother doesn't approve of him."

"I'm sure she has a good reason." Giovanni said.

Amber sighed and shook her head. "If she does, she hasn't told me." she grumbled. She tilted her head and raised a brow. "What do you think about the matter?"

Giovanni scratched his chin and thought for several seconds. "I believe it's important to stand up for what you believe in." he said. "But you have to be responsible as well."

...

Amber remained quiet as she thought about what Giovanni had said. Suddenly, a determined smile appeared on her face. She quickly stood up. "You're right." she said, looking in the direction of the pyramid. "I got to stand for what **I**believe!" With that she ran off.

...

"May is going to kill me..." Giovanni sighed.

* * *

Ash found himself walking down one of the many streets of Slateport City with Pikachu perched on his shoulder. The bustling streets made it hard not to bump into other people. Above, dark clouds began to form, blocking out the sun.

"Hey! Ash! Wait up!"

The pyramid king turned around to see Blaze running down the sidewalk towards him.

"Hey," he said, stopping to let the boy catch up. "What brings you here?"

Blaze stopped running in front of Ash and bent over to catch his breath. "I have a question." he panted.

Ash began walking again, Blaze walked beside him. "Okay then, shoot." he said, although he suspected he already knew the question.

"Why does May seem to dislike me?" he asked.

_Yup._Ash thought with a smirk. "It's not that she dislikes you. She just isn't fond of the idea of you being a couple with Amber."

...

"But... Why?" Blaze asked. "What did I do?"

Ash shook his head. "Nothing," he said. "It's not you. May's past haunts her."

"Her past?" Blaze asked, scratching his forehead. "What happened?"

Ash looked at Blaze oddly for moment. "Did your dad never tell you?" he asked. "He dated May back when they were kids."

Blaze's eyes widened. "W-what?!" he exclaimed. "Dad... And Amber's mom...?"

Ash nodded. "Mhm," he grunted. "But eventually, he met your mother. I don't know if his feelings for May disappeared or they were never there to begin with, and he didn't realize it. But either way, he broke up with her."

...

"Oh... I... He never told me." Blaze said, gazing at the ground. "What happened?"

"Your father got together with your mother and they became a couple. May was the one left hurt. Being a young teenage girl, she didn't handle the breakup very well. It was as if her heart had been shattered."

"That's horrible..." Blaze said.

"Pika..." Pikachu said sadly, his ears drooping low.

"After that, May felt unwanted. She thought she wasn't good enough for anyone anymore." Ash said, gazing up at the dark clouds above as he spoke. The two stopped walking at the intersection and waited for the walk signal on the opposite side of the road to light up. "She locked herself in her room, kept the lights off, watched a bunch of romantically tragic movies, and ate lots of ice cream."

"She turned into a wreck?" Blaze asked.

"Worse," Ash said. "Eventually, her parents called me up and asked if I could come over and get May back to normal. When I arrived and saw her..." he shivered.

The walk signal turned on and the cars in the road stopped at the stoplight, allowing Ash and Blaze to cross the street. "I take it you made her feel better?"

Ash sighed and smiled. "We argued about her worth for about an hour. She didn't think she was worth anything anymore. I had to show her she was wrong." he explained. "It ended with her crying in my lap. Then I forced her to take a shower and put on some fresh clothes. After that, I took her out for lunch."

"And that was it?"

Ash shook his head. "I told her I loved her while we were at the restaurant." he said. "Then we kissed and lived happily ever after, the end." He felt a rain drop. He stuck out his hand to see it was lightly sprinkling. He rounded the corner of a building and began to make his way back to the pyramid with Blaze.

"I still don't quite understand while she's so reluctant to let Amber and I be together." Blaze said. "I mean, I'm not my Dad. I'd never leave Amber for someone else."

"I remember Drew saying the same thing about May back when we were young." Ash said with a smirk. "Look where he is now."

* * *

May sat in the living room, looking out the massive windows as the quiet pattering of light rain hit the glass. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes.

She found it funny how she could talk to both Cynthia and Giovanni about her worries, and they would comfort her. They both assured her she was paranoid, and that Ash truly loved her. Yet she continued to cling to her fear.

But when Ash assured her, when Ash told her she had nothing to worry about, everything got better. Her fears melted away and she could smile again, just like that. All it took was a few precious words from her husband.

*knock* *knock* *knock*

May jumped and craned her neck to see the entrance of the living room to see Giovanni peeking into the room. "Oh, come in." May said, gesturing for Giovanni to step inside. The older man nodded and sat down on the couch. He let out a relaxed sigh and ran his hand through his hair, leaning his cane against the couch.

"You seem quite content at the moment." Giovanni observed with a smile.

"Yeah..." May said with a smile.

Giovanni cleared his throat and sat up straight on the couch. "Anyways, curiosity has been getting the best of me today." He admitted. "Why are you against Amber and that boy being together? He seems nice enough."

May sighed and let her head fall back on the back rest of the couch. "Well..." she said. "Back in the day, when I was Amber's age, I dated a boy."

Giovanni remained silent, letting May continue. "I thought we'd be together forever. But of course that didn't happen, and he left me for someone else." she said. She had a distant look in her eyes as her memory scrolled through that time. "It shattered my heart into a million pieces. I felt unwanted, unimportant, and that I wasn't good enough anymore."

"Then what happened?" Giovanni asked.

May chuckled quietly. "Ash came, and he picked up ever piece of my heart and put it back together." she said, a fond smile on her face. "And then we fell in love..."

"So do you regret ever pairing up with the other boy?" Giovanni asked, twisting his cane around.

May thought for a moment, gazing up at the ceiling. "It really hurt, but I wouldn't go back and change anything." she said. "I'm glad it happened the way it did. I couldn't be happier with Ash."

Giovanni smiled. "So if you wouldn't change it, why would it affect your decision about Amber?" he asked.

...

May sat up again, now looking at Giovanni again. "It's just so risky." she said. "I don't want her to have to experience the pain I went through. I couldn't bear to see her that way. She needs to mature a little more."

Giovanni smirked. "Well life is full of risks, and it has its ups and downs. That's what makes it so interesting." he said.

"Yeah, but-"

"Think about it this way." Giovanni began. His inner business man was coming out. "What fun is a roller coaster that just goes up? What's the point?"

May shrugged. "It would be a boring roller coaster." she said.

"Exactly," Giovanni said, pointing the end of his cane at May. "Life is the same way. Where's the spice of life if it doesn't have both ups and downs? Risks are a part of life. You simply cannot avoid them. If you try to avoid one, there will always be another to take its place."

...

May was quiet for a moment, taking in what Giovanni had just said. "But... But..." she said, but she couldn't think of a relevant argument against what he said.

"You were a Pokémon trainer, a coordinator, none the less." Giovanni said, pushing May's thoughts farther. "You of all people should know that life is full of risks."

...

"You... You're..." May tried to say, her eyes locked on the floor as she thought. "You're right..."

"There's nothing wrong with being protective." Giovanni assured her. "But it can be easy to be over protective."

May stood up from the couch. "You're right." she said again. "Thank you."

With that, she stepped out of the room, leaving Giovanni by himself. "Well... That went better than expected..." he mumbled to himself.

* * *

May found herself walking down one of the many halls in the battle pyramid, looking for Amber.

As she approached the young girl's bedroom, the door flew open, revealing an ever determined Amber, Totodile on her shoulder.

"Mom! I need to talk to you!" she said, rushing towards her mother.

But before she could begin her preplanned rant, May smiled and laid a hand on her shoulder. "I've changed my mind." she said simply.

"Yeah?! Well I've had it with-!... Wait, what?" Amber asked, cutting herself off.

"I've changed my mind about this whole problem." she said. She reached out and hugged Amber. "You still follow my rules, but I'll adjust them a little."

"I-I don't get it..." Amber said in confusion. She knew what her mother was talking about, but she didn't get the change in heart. May had always been stubborn about what she thought.

"You're grandfather put up quite a convincing argument." May said. Letting go of her daughter and backing up. "I suggest you go thank him."

With that, May walked off, leaving a dumbfounded Amber standing in the hall.

"Tote?" Totodile asked, equally surprised.

Amber snapped back to her senses and exchanged glances with Totodile. "Grandpa?"

* * *

The light sprinkle had turned into a heavy downpour. Ash and Blaze ran to the pyramid as fast as they could, but not before getting soaked.

The two slowed down as they ran into the pyramid, dripping wet.

"Piiiikahhh." Pikachu groaned in displeasure as he hopped off Ash's shoulder and began to shake the water out of his fur.

"Follow me, we got towels in the closet down the hall." Ash said, motioning for Blaze and Pikachu to follow him as he made his way down the hall.

The three reached the closet which Ash opened to reveal stacks of white towels. He took two out and tossed one to Blaze and one on the ground for Pikachu.

"So, you probably were pretty mad at Dad when he left May, right?" Blaze asked as he began to dry himself off.

Ash chuckled and pulled out a third towel for himself. "Well, I had conflicting emotions at the time." he explained. "I was angry that he hurt May, but was overjoyed that I had a second chance to make a move."

Blaze paused. "So, you already knew you liked her?" he asked. "When did you figure out."

Ash thought for a minute as he took off his wet hat and dried off his hair. "About two seconds after I heard she was in a relationship with your dad." he said. "You never know what you have until it's gone."

"Piiiiii..." Pikachu sighed as he rolled around in his warm, dry towel.

"So you have two options. One, stay together with Amber, but risk hurting her or getting hurt yourself." Ash said as he continued to dry himself. "Two, stay out of the relationship, but risk losing her to someone else."

Blaze frowned. "But they both have risks? Does it really have to be this hard?" he asked.

Ash chuckled. "Where would the fun of life be if everything was easy?"

* * *

Giovanni had his gaze fixed on the window when he heard a cough. He turned and looked to see Amber and Totodile standing in the door way of the living room.

"You look confused." Giovanni observed with a smirk.

Amber stepped into the room, but was having a hard time finding the words she wanted to say. "W-what did you do to Mom?" she asked in confusion. "You couldn't have just talked her into it. I've been trying to do that for months."

Giovanni smiled, knowing exactly what Amber was talking about it. "Maybe she just needed to hear it from someone else." he said with an innocent shrug.

...

"But... Why?" Amber asked.

"Why what?" Giovanni asked back.

Amber turned her gaze to the ground. "W-why are you being so nice?" she asked, she began to dig her heal into the carpet by twisting it. "We just met today, and we both know I haven't been all that nice to you."

Giovanni grinned. "Is it wrong to be nice?" he asked. "You don't know my past, kid. I've done a lot of wrong. I got to make up for it sometime."

Amber suddenly reached out and hugged her grandfather, taking the man by surprise. "Well, t-thank you anyways." she said. After a few moments of silence, she let go of him and backed up a bit, blushing in embarrassment. "So... What did you mean when you said you had done a lot of wrong?"

* * *

Ash and Blaze turned to look down the hall at the sound of footsteps echoing off the walls. They turned to see May walking over to them.

"Did you guys get caught in the rain?" she asked with a laugh.

Ash scratched his head. "Yeah..." he said sheepishly.

"Make sure you three dry yourselves off good or you'll catch a cold." May said with a grin. She was acting unusually nice for being around Blaze.

The brunette stopped in front of the boys. "Hey Blaze, could you give me and Ash a second alone?" she asked.

Blaze nodded. "Sure, Mrs. Ketchum." he said.

"May," she corrected.

"M-May...? May," Blaze replied in confusion. "L-let's go, Pikachu." he said. Pikachu quickly crawled out of his towel and shook himself dry one final time before following Blaze.

...

"What's gotten into you?" Ash asked confusion. "Did that worry of yours really affect your mood that much."

May averted her gaze to the ground. "That was part of it..." she admitted. "But... I talked with your father about Amber. He talked about risks and life and roller coasters..."

"R-roller coasters?" Ash asked in confusion.

"And he convinced me to change my mind about Amber and Blaze's relationship." she said.

Ash's eyes widened. "Just like that?" he asked. May nodded. "I'm going to have to have him talk to you about installing a refrigerator in the living room."

May laughed. "Fat chance." she said. "But anyways, I'm not done."

Ash raised a brow. "Oh?"

May scratched the back of her neck. "Despite my change of heart about this whole thing, I think it would be better to play it safe and keep an eye on those two for a while."

Ash looked at her questioningly. "You mean we stay in Slateport for a while?" he asked.

May shook her head. "No, I mean they come with us."

...

"Would now be a good time for a joke?" Chatot asked out of the blue.

Ash nodded. "Sure, go ahead, Chatot."

"Okay, what do you call cheese that isn't yours?" The robot asked.

"Nacho cheese," Ash answered plainly. Chatot remained silent for a moment.

...

"Son of a-"

* * *

**I realized this will probably be the first fic I've written that'll actually have a decent moral. Heck yeah. :D *High fives self***

**Don't forget you can read the next chapter of the fic on the Advancers forums. Link to the fic is on my profile.**


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7: Meet the Haydens**

* * *

"Estimated time to arrive: 2 hours." Chatot said. The bright red pathway from Hoenn to Sinnoh flashed as a red dot representing the pyramid followed the line.

"Hmph, good thing we took off last night." Ash muttered, taking a sip of his coffee. He stood before the motherboard, watching the progress the pyramid made as it flew towards their destination.

"Pika..." Pikachu agreed.

Ash decided to have the pyramid take off before going to bed in order to arrive in Sinnoh early. It was dangerous for the pyramid to fly at night, especially on autopilot, but Ash decided to take the risk anyways. He was relieved to wake up that morning to see everything was fine.

"No jokes today, Chatot?" Ash asked, letting out a yawn.

"No, May hurt my feelings after I said the B word."

Ash stifled a laugh. "Oh, that's too bad."

"Good morning!"

"Gak!" Ash grunted as he felt something tackle him from behind. The jolt almost caused him to spill his coffee on his morning robe.

"Morning, May." He said, quickly regaining his composer. "You seem especially perky this morning."

The brunette let go of him and stretched her arms, a large smile on her face. "I haven't felt this good in days!" she said happily. "Now that I'm not worried about the reason behind your depression..."

Ash's brow furrowed. _How long was she hiding that fear?_he asked himself. "You should have told me earlier. We could have resolved that problem a while ago." he said with a grin.

May blushed in embarrassment and turned her gaze to the ground. "Yeah... You're right..."

Ash grinned and turned his attention back the the large minutes displaying the pyramid's current route. "Are you excited to see the Haydens?" Ash asked May.

...

…

"May?" he turned around to see May was still standing there. Her lips were pursed and her eyes locked on the ground.

"Um... Yeah..." she sighed quietly. Something was wrong. "It's just... I'm nervous about seeing Dawn again."

Ash turned to fully face her and raised a brow. "Really? Why?" he asked.

May sighed and began to nervously twiddle her thumbs. "Oh, we just got into a slight argument last time we visited... It felt like I left with the problem unresolved..."

"May..." Ash began, stepping over to his wife and laying his hands on her shoulders. "You need to tell me these things. You can't box away all your troubles. I'm here to listen and help you."

May looked up at him. "But you have your own problems." she explained. "You're dealing with depression, and you have to take care of the pyramid."

Ash pulled May close into an embrace. "The pyramid and my problems are far less important than you to me." Ash said with a smile. "It doesn't matter what I'm dealing with. We need to handle our problems together."

May thought for a moment before nodding. "You're right." she said. Ash loosened his embrace and May backed up a little looking at him. "We're never going to solve anything without each other."

* * *

Giovanni sat where one would normally find him around 8 in the morning: in the dining room at the kitchen table. In his hands was his daily newspaper, and on the table sat a hot cup of coffee.

He looked up from his newspaper when he heard a yawn. He watched as Amy and Amber slowly walked into the dining room.

"Good morning sun shine." Giovanni said as the two tired girls walked through the dining room and into the kitchen. It didn't appear they had heard him.

_They're like zombies._Giovanni observed as they pulled out bowls and poured cereal into them. Amber opened the refrigerator and pulled out the milk, pouring some into her and Amy's cereal. Giovanni could have sworn she did it with her eyes closed.

The two girls picked up their bowls and spoons and made their way to the table, flopping down on the hard wood chair when they reached them. Amy dipped her spoon into the bowl and stuffed some cereal in her mouth. As if by some magic power, the young girl's tired face sprung to life. A grin stretched across her face as the sugary taste of the cereal tickled her taste buds and woke her up.

"Good morning, Grandpa!" She greeted happily, finally acknowledging the man's presence.

"G-good... Good morning..." Giovanni replied, surprised by how effectively the cereal woke her up.

Amber was not quite the same. She rested her heavy head on one hand and ate her cereal with the other. She appeared to be spacing out.

"Something on your mind?" Giovanni asked, taking a sip of  
his coffee.

"Hmmmph..." she moaned quietly. She hadn't been too pleased when Ash announced she and Blaze were coming to accompany them on their trip to Sinnoh.

"Come on now, it's not that bad." Giovanni said, setting the cup down on the table and grabbing his newspaper. "You got what you wanted in the long run."

"Yeah, but... My badges..." She grumbled. "This stupid trip his slowing me down."

Giovanni shrugged and continued to read his paper.

"Grandpa," Amy began, setting down her spoon. "How did you meet Grandma?"

...

Giovanni looked over the edge of his paper and glanced at Amy, who quickly made eye contact. Amber seemed equally interested as well.

...

...

...

"It was at a restaurant." he sighed, a fond smile growing on his face. He laid his newspaper down and rested his arms on the table. "It was a small, outdoor diner at the center of Pallet Town."

The older man chuckled as he recalled the day. "She was my clumsy waitress. She accidentally dropped my food on the floor and spilt my drink in my lap." he said as his mind began to wander off. "I guess that hadn't been the first time that had happened, because the owner fired her right in front of me and promised me a free meal."

Amy and Amber exchanged glances, eyes wide. "She threw off her apron and ran out of the restaurant in tears." he continued. "Out of pity, I got up and left the restaurant, chasing after her. I found her sitting on top of a hill overlooking the port, crying her eyes out."

"She was crying?" Amy asked. She couldn't envision her grandmother in tears.

"We were very young at the time. She probably was no more than seventeen." Giovanni admitted. "Anyways, I sat down next to her and she explained to me that she had lost several jobs due to her clumsiness."

He sighed sadly and swirled around the coffee in his coffee cup. "She said she felt broken and useless." he muttered quietly, but then he smiled and looked up. "After that, I comforted her and helped her feel better. We became friends and... Well... The rest is history."

Amber raised a brow. "So when did it go wrong?" she asked. "You two obviously didn't stay together."

Giovanni sighed again and rubbed his face. "After some time, I was hired by a successful corporation and was given quite a generous salary." he explained. "Needless to say, my ego and arrogance got the best of me. I got too involved in the corporate politics and ended up becoming very selfish."

"And then you took Virginity?" Amy asked.

...

Giovanni chuckled. "Yes, then I took Virginity."

* * *

The pyramid flew over Sinnoh, making its way to Twinleaf Town. As it drew closer, it began to descend until it flew right over the village and gently settled down in a field by the lake.

"How many more people are we planning on visiting?" Giovanni asked as he and Ash's family walked towards the exit of the pyramid. Amber had woken up Blaze and dragged him out of bed, now the sleepy boy was fully dressed and sluggishly walked next to her. Flint was not much more active.

"This is our final stop." Ash confirmed. "Then it's probably back to Kanto for the Battle Frontier."

Giovanni grunted in understanding and held his hat down as they walked outside, a strong breeze blowing to the west.

"It's cold!" Flint said, wrapping his arms around himself.

May grinned and looked back at him. "I told you to bring your jacket." she said. "You've taken geography. You know it's typically cold in Sinnoh."

Flint grumbled in displeasure and stuck his arms inside his shirts wrapping the right, long sleeve of his shirt around his neck like a scarf.

As they made their way into town, Ash had his map out, trying to find the neighborhood they were headed for. For some reason he could never find the place by memory.

"I knew we should have taken that left turn at Albuquerque." Ash grumbled as he twisted the map around.

"I told you. Stop and ask for directions." May said, crossing her arms.

"No, no, no. I got this." Ash said, holding the map up closer to his face and squinting.

May sighed and adjusted her bandana. "At this rate, we'll never get there." She grumbled. She turned to Blaze and raised a brow. "You used to live here, do you know the way?"

Blaze still seemed to be in a daze from sleepiness. Amber nudged him and snapped him to his senses. "Huh? What?" he asked. "Oh, Uh... Two blocks down and then a right turn."

...

"Sounds simple enough," Ash muttered, folding up the map.

May smirked and took the folded map from his hand before whacking him with it. "Told you to ask for directions." she said.

* * *

The group reached the doorstep of the house they had been looking for and their destination. Ash exchanged glances with May before reaching out and knocking on the door a few times.

"Coming!" a feminine voice from within the house exclaimed. Everyone waited patiently before hearing a click and watching the door open. "Hey, stranger," a woman with blue hair said, holding open the door. "Long time, no see."

"Hey, Dawn," Ash greeted before receiving a hug from the blunette.

Looking over Ash's shoulder, Dawn saw everyone else. "I see you brought my kid back." she said, smiling at Blaze.

"Hey, Mom," Blaze greeted sheepishly, scratching the back of his head. She stepped over to the red head and hugged him as well.

"Well, I can't keep you all standing out in the cold." The smiling woman said. "Come in, come in."

Flint was the first to rush inside, seeking the warmth of the indoors. As the other's walked in, Dawn greeted each one as they passed.

"Who's this?" she asked as Giovanni walked inside. He smiled and tipped his hat to her.

"A relative," Ash said. "My dad to be more specific."

Dawn stiffened with surprise. "Wai-wha-?" she stammered, eyes wide as she gazed at Giovanni. "I-it's a pleasure to meet you... Sir."

Giovanni chuckled. "The pleasure is mine." he replied with a grin.

"Hm, Maggie's Gengar could take a few lessons about being a gentleman from Giovanni." May whispered in Ash's ear. The man smirked and chuckled.

"Mmm, it's good to be home." Blaze sighed, flopping down on the living room couch. "Where's Dad?"

"Up in the office, I'm calling him down." Dawn answered, disappearing into the hallway.

"Plup?"

Ash looked down to see a familiar blue penguin at his feet, gazing up at him happily.

"Hey, Piplup." Ash said with a grin, kneeling down by the Pokémon and stroking his forehead.

"Pika!" Pikachu said excitedly, hopping off of Ash's shoulder and onto the cold floor.

"Pip!" Piplup replied energetically. With that, the two Pokémon ran off.

Amy and Flint chased after the two Pokémon while Ash, May, Giovanni, and Amber went into the living room. Amber sat down on the floor, leaning against the couch Flint was sprawled out on. Ash and May sat down in comfortable rocking chairs. Giovanni sat down on a large cushioned seat.

"Well if it isn't the Ketchums." a voice from the hall came. Ash and May looked over to find a green haired man stepping out of the hall, Dawn close behind.

"Hey, Drew," Ash said with a grin as he stood up. Drew stepped over to Ash with a grin and the two shook hands, doing the same with May.

"It's been a while." Drew said, stepping over to the second couch in the room. Dawn sat down beside him. He glanced at Giovanni. "I see someone is in my normal seat, care to introduce him to me?"

Ash grinned and nodded to his father. "Drew, this is my long lost dad, Giovanni." he said. Drew raised a brow and looked at Dawn, who nodded to him.

"Giovanni, these are two of our best friends, Dawn and Drew Hayden." Ash continued. "They are two of the ten board members of the Universal Contest Committee."

"The UCC?" Giovanni asked. "That's quite impressive."

"Eh, it's all rubbish and paperwork." Dawn said with a shrug. Drew chuckled and nodded his head in agreement. "Although we've been working on bringing contest to the Unova region."

"About time," Ash said with a chuckle.

"Hey, it's across the ocean. We've never reached out that far." Dawn said in her own defense. "But it's a ridiculously tedious process."

"Costs, legal issues, getting the licenses, it's all very complicated." Drew sighed, running his hand through his hair. "Plus we'll have to compete with Pokémon Musicals."

May grinned and nodded. "I'm sure it's a lot of work." She agreed. "But you'll do fine."

Drew grinned and nodded before hearing a loud growling noise. He looked in Ash's direction to see the trainer sheepishly scratching his head.

"Heh, I'm feeling a bit peckish." Ash said with a smirk. "What are the plans for lunch?"

...

Dawn and Drew exchanged glances. "Err..."

May let out a laugh. "That's right, you guys can't cook." she said. "Is Betsy not home?"

Drew and Dawn had never taken the time to learn how to cook, and being board members of the CSS, they made enough to hire a cook, who happened to be a somewhat grumpy woman named Betsy.

"Uh, she's on vacation." Dawn said sheepishly, now blushing with embarrassment. The fact she couldn't seem to learn to cook always embarrassed her. She was great at making poffins, but nothing beyond that and frozen meals.

"Would you guys like me to cook us all something?" May asked, standing up from her seat.

"That would be great." Drew replied. "Except our pantry is dry to the bone, we're flat out of food."

...

"Then what have you guys been eating?" Ash asked.

...

...

...

"McDonalds."

* * *

May found herself in one of the many aisles of the supermarket with Dawn, pulling various ingredients off the shelves as she walked by. Dawn was quite in the talkative mood, rambling on about work and how many pounds she had gained since Betsy had left for vacation. May couldn't help but grin. Either Dawn had put aside the disagreement they had earlier, or she had simply forgotten about it.

May always a little felt awkward around Dawn. After Drew had ditched her for the pretty coordinator, she always felt strange around the blunette. She knew she wasn't holding a grudge against the woman, but sometimes she felt a bit jealous of her...

Dawn raised a brow as she watched May open a carton of eggs to see if any were cracked. "What are the eggs for? We're not cooking breakfast."

... but there were many times Dawn made her feel like the smartest woman in the world.

Flint walked into the aisle and over to May with a bag of carrots in hand. He stepped up to the shopping cart and set the bag in it. "Anything else?" he asked.

May looked down at her shopping list and read through what she needed. "Yeah, could you go get me some milk?" she asked. Flint nodded and began to walk off. "And don't forget to find the one with the latest expiration date!" the brunette called out. "Now we need to get some ketchup." she muttered, looking back down at her list.

"Carrots, eggs, potatoes, and ketchup? What on earth are you making?" Dawn asked.

"You'd be surprised with what you can find in your meals." May answered, grabbing the shopping cart and pushing it down the aisle.

"Apparently," Dawn said, following after May. "Next thing I know, you'll be telling me butter doesn't just go on bread!"

...

* * *

"Funny about Amber and Blaze." Drew said, watching from the living room as Giovanni showed Amber, Blaze, and Amy how to play a particular game of cards at the dining room table. "Reminds me of when we were young."

Ash sighed, still sitting in the rocking chair. "Yeah," he agreed. "Something about May's blood and yours that seem to gravitate towards each other."

Drew nodded.

Ash remained quiet for a moment, a question he wasn't sure if he dare ask floating around in his head. _Now would be the time._ Ash thought. _I don't have one on one talks with Drew very often._

"So, nagging question," Ash began, deciding to take the risk and hoping Drew wouldn't get angry. "Why did you leave May all those years ago?"

...

Drew took a deep breath and thought for a moment. "I..." he began, but paused. "I think that, you can think you like someone, but then… you meet someone else, and then you truly fall in love you know?" He asked. Ash gave him a quizzed look. He obviously didn't get it. "It's impossible to _truly_ know the feeling until you've _truly_experienced it. That's when you realize when it's genuine and when it's not."

Ash adjusted the cap on his head. "So you're saying you never actually 'loved' her, but you didn't realize it?" he asked.

Drew nodded. "I guess I thought I was feeling love." he said with a sigh. "But I didn't know what genuine love like that really felt like." he said.

Ash smiled. "And then you met Dawn?"

"Hell, you introduced me to her." he said with a chuckle. "I'll never forget that night."

He let out a sigh and ran his hand through his hair. "I felt like a jerk for dumping May like that to be honest." he said, looking back over at the children playing cards. "But I knew it was better to do it sooner than later."

Ash nodded in agreement. "Love is a tricky game."

"And it has one hell of a poker face." Drew said with a laugh. "Then it kind of just slaps you in the face."

Ash nodded. "Yeah, as bad as it sounds, I'm glad you dumped May."

Drew snorted. "I already know that." he said. "I knew you would be before I even dumped her."

...

"Hmph," Ash grunted. "And all these years I thought I was so good at hiding it."

"Well Dawn can read you like a book." Drew admitted, a mischievous grin appeared on his face. "So why are you feeling depressed?"

...

"Wait, what?" Ash asked in confusion. "I never said anything about-"

"Dawn can read you like a book."

* * *

"Is it necessary that you breathe down my neck?" May asked, standing in the kitchen and preparing the ingredients as Dawn watched over her shoulder.

"I've not watched someone cook in a long time." Dawn said. "Betsy never lets me watch her."

...

May looked at the blunette oddly. "This is your kitchen. Why would she not let you watch?"

Dawn shrugged. "I dunno. She said she can't concentrate when other people are in the room." she said.

May squinted suspiciously. _Or she doesn't want Dawn to learn how to cook._she said.

"If you learned to cook and fired- excuse me- _relieved_Betsy of her services, what would happen to her?" she asked.

Dawn shrugged. "I dunno." she said again. "Be without a job?"

...

"Okay," May said, wrapping an arm around a confused Dawn's shoulders. "Now let me show you a few things."

* * *

After a few hours in the kitchen, the food was fully prepared, and set across the table. May called everyone to the dinner table, and everyone was quick to sit down. Dawn set out the plates and set a bowl of Pokémon food on the ground along with the bottle of ketchup for Piplup and Pikachu respectively.

"Well this looks fantastic." Ash said looking around at the many dishes prepared.

"Dawn helped me out." May replied, sitting down in her seat.

"What? Blasphemy," Drew said, also sitting down at the table. "Dawn can't even toast a bagel."

Dawn took the cooking mitten off her right hand and whacked Drew with it, causing the man to laugh. "I'll have you know I did help cook, and I didn't even set the ceiling on fire this time."

...

"Well that's good to hear." Drew said with a chuckled. "I'm sure the meal will taste fine."

"Thank you." Dawn said proudly, sitting down and scooting her chair up to the table.

Silverware began to clink around as everyone began to grab food and set it on their plates. It was quite a large layout. Luckily the gluttons would be sure to leave no crumb left behind.

"So Ash doesn't know the reason behind his depression." Drew told Dawn as he sliced through a piece of meat. "He says no one can figure it out."

Dawn looked at Drew before glancing at Ash, who kept his focus on his food. "Wait... You can't tell why you're depressed?" Dawn asked, setting her fork down and wiping her mouth with a napkin. "Is that even possible?"

May nodded. "It's been months, but we've got no solutions." she said.

"Oh come on," Dawn said. "I can see the reason and I'm not even the one depressed."

Ash and May almost choked on their food. "Wait... What?" Ash asked, finally looking at her. "You can tell?"

"Is it not obvious?" Dawn asked, picking up her fork and continuing eating.

"N-no..." May said. "Why else did you think we've been having so much trouble with it? We came on this trip to see if it would lift his mood."

"Hm, weird." Dawn said casually, taking a bite of sliced carrot.

...

"So... If you can tell... Then... What is it?" Ash asked, not enjoying the suspense.

Dawn looked at him for several moments quietly.

...

...

...

"You're bored."

...

May raised a brow. "That's it?" she asked almost angrily. "That's the reason?! He's bored!?"

"Yeah, just look at him." Dawn said, taking another bite of her food. "His eyes are begging _'please something interesting happen'_."

...

"So... You're saying all this travel around was boring?" May asked. "Visiting old friends and taking a trip down memory lane isn't enough to entertain him?"

"See what you need is some excitement." Dawn said, waving her fork in Ash's direction. "Mmm, this pork chop is so good. Dang, I'm a good cook." The coordinator was getting a little off track.

"What kind of excitement?" Ash asked, exchanging glances with May.

"Mm, you know what you should do?" Dawn began. "Go to the mountain. Go see **him**."

...

"I don't see what that would do." Ash said, slowly taking another bite of his food.

"It couldn't hurt." Dawn replied. "It could be interesting, to say the least. If you do go, I want to come with you."

Ash raised a brow. "Why?"

Dawn shrugged. "Didn't I just say? It could be interesting."

* * *

**If somebody gets where the Albuquerque reference comes from they get a cookie.**

**This chapter feels rushed on so many levels… ugh, I'm sorry. I'm just ready to be done with this fic.**

**Next chapter will be the last.**

**~The Shiny Gengar**


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8: Meet the Champion**

* * *

**Congrats to all the people who said Loony Toons/Space Jam for the Albuquerque reference. Cookies for you all! :P**

* * *

May found herself sitting in her and Ash's secret lounge, although she was now by herself. She gazed out of the massive window and watched the puffy white clouds float by from the comfort of her beanbag chair.

"Something on your mind?"

May jumped at the unexpected voice and craned her neck to see none other than Ash stepping into the room. He let out a sigh and flopped down in the empty bean bag next to May, looking over at her.

"I was just thinking..." May began, drumming her fingers on the chair. "Assuming Dawn is right about your depression, why could she tell what was wrong with you upon a few glances? I've been around you for months and couldn't even get a hint as to why you were depressed."

Ash let out a laugh. "You think you feel dumb?" he asked. "I'm the one who was depressed to begin with."

...

"True." May said, looking away from him. "But still..."

"This isn't going to be Misty all over again, is it?" Ash asked.

May quickly shook her head. "No, no, no." she said promptly.

Ash took a deep breath and scratched the back of his head. "Drew said Dawn can read me like a book." he began. "But I assume she actually has a talent to read emotions and see any person's problems naturally."

That made May feel a bit better. "I don't recall her having that ability when we were younger." she said.

Ash shrugged. "I can recall a few hints here and there." he admitted, adjusting his cap. "Although I think it's developed more as time has gone by."

May nodded in agreement, feeling reassured. "So do you think it'll work? Going up the mountain?" she asked.

Ash shrugged. "It's worth a shot."

* * *

Drew stayed home to do work, but Dawn had boarded the pyramid to accompany Ash and May to the mountain looming off in the distance. The trip to the mountain would be easy. Climbing up it would be a different story. Because of some of the dangers of climbing the mountain, May insisted that Flint and Amy stay behind at the Hayden residence, meaning Amber had to stick around too and watch them.

"Can't really say I'm upset." she admitted. "I didn't really want to climb up a frigid cold mountain anyways." Although May could tell she was a little disappointed.

Ash tried to convince Giovanni to stay behind as well, but the old man insisted he was up for the challenge.

"Planning to land out in the middle of nowhere?" Chatot asked. "The closest town is thirty miles away from the coordinates you put in."

"It's fine." Ash assured it, tapping the launch button. The pyramid began to rumble as the engines heated up. The pyramid began to lift off.

In the living room, Dawn was keeping herself entertained watching as the ground seemed to fall away beneath her. "It's been so long since I've ridden in this thing." she said, turning to May, who was relaxing on the couch. Giovanni stood next to Dawn and watched out the window. "How long do you think it'll take to fly over to the mountain?"

May shrugged. "Probably an hour." she said with a grin. "There aren't any roads or speed limits in the sky."

"You might want to brace yourself." Giovanni warned, spreading his feet out a bit and planting them onto the floor.

"Huh? Why?" Dawn asked. The pyramid suddenly jolted, heading east. Dawn stumbled and hit her head on the window. "Oh..." she grumbled, rubbing the spot on her head that had collided with the window.

"Plup," Piplup face-palmed at his trainer.

* * *

After the hour long trip to the mountain, the pyramid slowed to a stop in midair and settled down in a large, flat area about a mile from the mountain.

"If I recall correctly, that blonde woman, Cynthia, used to be champion of Sinnoh." Giovanni said. The group had all dressed in warm clothing to protect them from the cold weather they would be facing. They began to make their trek towards the base of the mountain that sat before them.

"Yeah, Cynthia was." Ash confirmed. "We'll be seeing the one who dethroned her in the mountain."

Giovanni raised a brow. "Why would the champion live in a mountain?" he asked. "And so far from civilization?"

Ash shrugged. "He goes through phases from what I hear." he explained. "I think he alternates between living in the mountain and wandering Sinnoh every six months or so to keep his Pokémon tough."

"Is he someone I would know?" Giovanni asked.

Ash shook his head. "No."

* * *

Upon reaching the base of the cave, the hikers found the large mouth of the cave they would use to enter. "Better use some Max Repel." Ash said, pulling out a spray bottle. "This is the territory of a lot of wild Pokémon."

Ash sprayed down May, Dawn, Giovanni, and himself, much to Pikachu and Piplup's dismay. They hated the smell given off by Max Repel.

"Have you ever come up here to visit him?" Dawn asked as they began to walk around the cave, following a trail.

Ash shook his head. "No," he admitted. "We always visited him when he's not hiding up in the mountain."

Ash could see from the moving shadows that there were various Pokémon around, but luckily they kept their distance from the trainers because of the Max Repels.

"This stuff really works well." May said, examining the bottle in her hands.

"Piiiiikkaaaaa." Pikachu groaned from Ash's shoulder, a paw held tightly over his nose.

"Piiiiiip." Piplup whined.

"It'll wear off eventually." Ash said, turning to the May and Dawn. "I have Unfezant and Staraptor to fly me and Dad back down to the pyramid. Did you two bring your flying types?"

"Togikiss." Dawn said with a nod.

"Altaria." May answered. She was referring to the Pokémon she had met long ago on her journey through Hoenn with Ash, her brother, and Brock back when it was just a Swablu.

Ash gave them a thumbs up and the journey continued. The group walked silently for a while, the only sounds being the pounds of their footsteps hitting the floor and bouncing off the walls, creating quiet but clear echoes.

After an hour of hiking up the mountain using the passage ways provided, the group found themselves stepping out of the cave and into the sunlight.

"Whoa," May said when she saw how high up they were. Upon instinct, she clung onto Ash. Looking down, she could see the pyramid in the distance. The ground was now covered with snow and a cold breeze blew through the air.

"Took you long enough."

Everyone jumped at the voice and turned in the direction it came from to see a tall man walking towards them. He had eyes that were cold as ice, and purple hair covering his forehead and chin.

"Paul," Ash said, stepping up to the man. "Man, it's been a while."

"What brings you here, Ketchum?" Paul asked, although he put no effort into sounding polite. He asked in a more demanding manner.

"Well... Uh... I was visiting the Haydens and Dawn suggested we come over here."

"Dawn?" Paul asked. He looked behind Ash to see May, Dawn, and Giovanni. He remained quiet for a minute before sighing. "Why would she suggest you come here?" he asked. Dawn averted her gaze to the ground.

"Ash has been feeling depressed." May said, stepping up and hugging her husband's arm. "She thinks that he's bored and thought it would be a good idea to come visit you."

Paul looked at the blunette with a quizzed expression. She shrugged sheepishly. The man's expression went from curious to cold in seconds. "Don't waste my time." he grumbled, turning to leave.

"Paul, wait." Ash tried to say.

"Please," May said, trying to get him to stop.

"HEY!"

...

The shout caused several bird Pokémon to fly away from the spot they had been nestled in. It rang through the air several times, and caused Paul to stop in his tracks. He twisted around to see an angry Dawn looking at him.

"I'll have you know, we climbed a whole mountain to see you and we reek of Max Repel!" She exclaimed, stomping over to him. She stopped right in front of him. He was a head taller than her, so she had to look up at him. "It wasn't easy getting up here. So you better show us some hospitality!"

...

"Hmph, fine." Paul said. "Follow."

With that, the trainer began to walk off. The other four exchanged glances before following after him.

"Is that the champion?" Giovanni asked quietly.

Ash nodded. "Yep. That's the guy who dethroned Cynthia." he replied. He sighed. His breath could be seen in the cold air. "He hasn't changed much."

They followed Paul down another trail until they reached a small cabin. "Not very fitting for the champion of the Sinnoh region," Dawn commented as they walked in.

"Yeah, well, nobody asked you, Princess." Paul growled in response.

"Yeah, well, you're rude."

"Yeah, well, you're annoying."

"You're a jerk!"

"You're a brat."

"Why did Dawn want to come with us?" May asked Ash quietly as the other two shouted back and forth at each other. Ash simply shrugged.

"You're a communist!"

"You're immature!"

"You're stupid!"

"You're a #%$& ."

***Slap***

Paul growled and rubbed his cheek where Dawn left a red handprint.

"Be thankful Drew isn't around or he would bust you up." Dawn said, pointing an angry finger at Paul.

"I could twist him into a pretzel any day of the week." Paul shot back, turning his back to Dawn.

"Guys, guys," Ash said, stepping up to the two. "Let's all remember that we're mature adults, and need to behave that way."

"She started it."

"You started it!"

"No, you started it."

**"SHUT UP!" **May exclaimed, pulling her own hair. "Dear Arceus I finally get a day away from the children and I have to hang around two adults that act like them?!"

...

"Okay, so Paul." Dawn said, her mood immediately changing. "Ash wants to challenge you to a Pokémon Battle."

"What?" Ash asked, a quizzed expression on his face. "I do?"

"Come on. Think about it." Dawn said. "If you're bored.,you need something entertaining to happen. What could be more interesting than the Pyramid King battling a Champion?"

...

"I don't object." Paul said, cracking his knuckles. "I've been itching for a challenge."

Ash smirked confidently. "I'm a force to be reckoned with." he said. "You're on."

* * *

The two men stood outside. There was a large area in between them which Paul had designated to be the battlefield. "Classic one on one?" Paul asked.

Ash nodded. "Sure thing." he said, already pulling out a Pokéball. "Go! Regirock!" the Rock Peak Pokémon appeared on the field before Ash. It let out a roar that sounded like a combination of beeps and rumbling gravel.

"That's right. You have the Regi trio." Paul said observing the legendary rock type. "Legendary Pokémon can be quite a challenge."

Ash smirked and folded his arms across his chest. "That's right. They have yet to lose a single battle since I got them."

Paul stroked his beard for a moment as he thought. "Hm, do you have the others with you?" he asked, glancing at the Pokéballs handing at Ash's said.

Ash raised a brow. "Yeah. Why?" he asked.

Paul smirked and put his hands on his hips. "Let's make this interesting." he said. "Do you mind if I borrowed Registeel?"

"What?!" May exclaimed in surprise. She hadn't been expecting that. She, along with Dawn, Giovanni, Piplup, and Pikachu all sat off in the distance, sitting on the ground to watch the battle.

"Pitting a Regi against a Regi?" Giovanni thought with a smirk. "This should be entertaining."

Ash unclipped a Pokéball from his belt and tossed it get to Paul. The champion caught it and enlarged it.

"I'm not sure if Registeel will obey you." Ash warned.

Paul rolled his eyes. "I'm the Sinnoh champion." he said. "Dialga would obey me." With that, he opened the Pokéball and released the steel type that had been contained inside.

"Your move." Ash said.

Paul was examining the Pokémon before him with his Pokédex. His eyes dashed back and forth as he read the information displayed before him. "Very well." he said as he slapped his dex closed. "Hyper Beam!"

"Iron Defense!" Ash exclaimed.

Registeel charged up a Hyper Beam before firing it across the field at Regirock, who flashed. Iron Defense took effect just before the powerful Hyper Beam rammed up against it. When the attack faded, it appeared Regirock was unscratched.

"Use Brick Break while it's recharging!" Ash exclaimed.

The Hyper Beam had indeed left Registeel frozen, leaving him open for attack. Regirock's hand began to glow as it charged at Registeel. Its hand came down and struck the steel type, causing it to stumble. The blow had obviously hurt it.

"Interesting." Paul observed. "Alright Registeel, Iron Defense and then Rest."

Registeel beeped several times before flashing as it performed Iron Defense. The seven red lights on its front flickered off as it began to Rest.

"He's leaving it completely helpless." Dawn said. "What is he thinking?"

"Brick Break!" Ash ordered. Regirock's hand began to glow and it once again pounded down on Registeel. All it did was send a ringing through the air as rock hit metal. The steel type appeared unharmed.

"Hammer Arm!"

Regirock put its "hands" up in the air next to each other before again slamming down on Registeel. The attack didn't even leave a dent.

"Rock Smash!"

"The Iron Defense is holding up quite well while Registeel sleeps." Giovanni observed.

Suddenly, Registeel's eyes lit back up, signaling it was awake.

"Head Butt!" Paul ordered.

Registeel threw its upper half backward before thrusting forward and ramming against Regirock. The impact was so powerful it sent the rock type flying through the air. It hit the ground on its feet and slid in the snow several inches.

"Whoa." May said with surprise. "I don't think I've ever seen Regirock get hit that hard."

Ash stood on his side of the field slightly stunned. He was not used to seeing his Pokémon take damage like that. He typically could beat trainers without any of the Regis getting hurt at all.

A slight smile appeared on his face.

"Now you're talking." Ash said, a determined and energetic sparkle appearing in his eyes. He grabbed the brim of his cap and twisted his backwards. "Earthquake!" He exclaimed.

"Magnet Rise and Flash Cannon!" Paul countered.

Regirock jumped up into the air before slamming back down into the ground and causing the ground to violently shake. Registeel had begun to levitate in the air to avoid the shaking ground and fired a bright orb across the field. The shot flew in Regirock's direction and hit it. The collision literally knocked it off its feet. Time seemed to move slow as it flipped in midair and fell on its face.

"Regirock! Are you okay?" Ash asked with concern. May couldn't remember the last time Ash had asked the question to one of his Pokémon. The rock type pushed itself back up to its feet and beeped several times, the nine dots shaped like a capital H on Regirock's front flickered as it growled.

"Stone Edge!" Ash shouted.

May's eyes widened. She could hear something in the sound of Ash's voice that she hadn't heard for a long time. There was passion, determination, and excitement. She looked over at the others, who didn't appear to notice, except for Pikachu.

"Pika?" The little yellow mouse asked from the ground. He was sitting to her right.

"I heard it too." May told him.

Dawn looked over at them. "Heard what?" she asked.

May looked at Dawn for a moment before shaking her head. "Nothing." she waved it off.

The Regirock formed several sharp rocks which floated around it. The rocks began to glow before flying at Registeel. The sharp objects hit the steel type, making a large sound of clatter and clashes as the elements met.

"Shake it off and use Aerial Ace!" Paul ordered.

Dawn's brow furrowed. "How can Registeel know a move like Aerial Ace?" she asked.

Still levitating in the air, Registeel began to fly at Regirock before seeming to magically disappear. It reappeared on the opposite side of the rock type and slammed into it.

"Oh." Dawn said.

"Get it back on the ground with Smack Down!" Ash exclaimed.

Regirock nodded and swung its arm down on the now in range Registeel. The attack sent the Iron Pokémon to the ground on its back.

"Earthquake!" Ash shouted. Regirock was quick to respond and jumped into the air again. He slammed down into the ground, causing it to rattle. Registeel flopped around helplessly like a Magikarp out of water until the earth settled down.

"Roll to your feet and jump!" Paul exclaimed. Registeel obeyed and lunged to the side, causing its round body to roll and allowing it to stand on its feet. Using the momentum from the roll it sprang into the air.

"Iron Head!" Paul exclaimed.

Registeel pointed its head in the direction of Regirock. It flashed and rammed into the Pokémon, causing a huge cloud of dust to appear.

...

The dust cloud eventually disappeared to reveal Regirock slowly rising to its feet. It let out a low beep before collapsing onto the ground. May had never seen Regirock fall. The orange lights on the rock type's front flickered off, showing it was knocked out.

...

Aside from the cold breeze blowing through the air, not a sound could be heard as everyone gazed at the fallen Pokémon. Ash fell to his knees, remaining motionless for a few seconds before falling into a sitting position.

"Ash..." May said quietly, getting up and walking over to her husband.

She knelt down beside him and laid a hand on the stunned man's back. "Are you okay?" she asked.

Ash twitched as his eyes began to water. "That..." he tried to say. "That was amazing..."

May jumped with a start when the trainer burst into laughter. The sound of his voice echoed through the air. "That was amazing!" Ash said again, rising to his feet. "I haven't felt so thrilled in forever!"

"Ash?" May asked, now confused.

"Did you see that?" Ash asked, pointing to the two Pokémon on the field. "Paul won! Someone actually beat me!" He suddenly grabbed May by the shoulders and pulled her close, kissing her on the lips.

"Well it looks like you were right." Giovanni said to Dawn, a grin on his face. "Ash was bored."

Dawn smiled as she watched the couple kiss in the distance. "Ash's passion has always been to battle." She said, a theory began to form in her head. "If battling was so easy it wasn't a challenge anymore, then it wouldn't be enjoyable anymore."

"And if it's not enjoyable... The passion is gone." Giovanni said, tapping his chin. "That's why he was depressed."

"Ahem."

Ash and May broke from their kiss to see Paul standing in front of them, a smirk on his face. "You owe me." he said.

Ash shouted in joy again and bear hugged Paul. The champion yelped in surprise and stumbled back a few steps to avoid falling over. "L-let go of me, you spaz!"

Paul pushed Ash away and brushed himself off. "You might get your loser's luck on me." he said. Ash simply laughed.

"I don't think I've ever seen you this energetic." Giovanni said. He, Dawn, Pikachu, and Piplup were walking over to them. "Could the mystery behind your depression finally be solved?"

Ash sighed and walked over to Registeel and Regirock, who had recovered and stood up. "I've abused the Regi's power for too long. They're simply too strong." Ash admitted, patting them with his hand. "I think it's about time they took a vacation."

"Pika?" Pikachu asked, crawling up to Ash.

"Yeah!" Ash replied. "I'll use you and everyone else to battle!" He said excitedly.

"Pi pikachu!" Pikachu chirped excitedly, cheeks already sparking.

* * *

**Narrator:** _And so ends the mysteries behind Ash's depressions._

_Bidding farewell to Paul, he and the others pulled out their flying types and flew back down to the Battle Pyramid. Needless to say, the children were surprised to see their father return with more bounce in his step than they had seen in months._

_Deciding his first objective, Ash flew the pyramid all the way back to Kanto to visit all his Pokémon at Tracy's lab. (May stayed at the Hayden's residence to teach Dawn how to cook.)_

_Amber and Blaze finally earned the trust of May and were allowed to return to the Hoenn region unsupervised. Amber continued to vigorously gain badges until collecting eight and heading off to the league, where she placed in the top eight._

_Gary continued his research as a Pokémon professor and gained the reputation of the most influential professor in the world after discovering how Pokémon eggs were made and catching it on camera._

_Misty remained at the gym until being promoted to one of the elite four after former member Bruno lost six battles in a row due to his back constantly going out._

_The Harrisons were surprised to find that Cynthia gave birth to triplets. Not much else to say about that._

_Max eventually left home planning to become a breeder. After watching Gary's video about Pokémon eggs, he quickly changed his mind and quit._

_Maggie and Gengar went off through the Hoenn region to take on the league. With her trusty ghost type, she had no problem getting all the gym badges and also getting top eight in Hoenn League Tournament._

_Drew and Dawn eventually succeeded in taking contests overseas. The shows were very successful and they planned to extend them out even further. And thanks to the help of May, Dawn discovered she was more than capable of making her own meals._

_Betsy was left jobless after Dawn learned to cook. She was later hit by a semi truck._

* * *

***Knock* *knock* *knock***

Delia Ketchum lifted her head at the sound of someone knocking at the door. She set down the book she was reading and stood up from the couch. She unlocked the door and twisted the doorknob, opening it to see a man around her age standing before her. He held his fedora in his hands.

"Giovanni?" Delia asked. "What are you doing here?"

The man took a deep breath before letting out a long sigh. "Delia, I've made a lot of mistakes in my life." he began, the grip on his hat tightened. "And one of them was how I treated you. It haunts me every time Amy asks about 'Virginity'."

Delia tried not to giggle, but couldn't help smiling.

"I was wondering if maybe we could start over." he continued. "Like back when we were young." he grabbed her hand and held it up. "I've always loved you, Delia, and I promise I won't make the same mistake twice."

Delia was blushing by now. She let go of Giovanni's hand and held it close to her heart. "W-what if I said no?" she asked quietly.

"Then I'm in trouble."

Delia looked up at him with a confused expression. "W-why?"

There was a loud rumbling noise. Delia watched as the Battle Pyramid emerged from its hiding place behind the tall trees in the distance. It levitated in the air for a second before flying away, disappearing from sight.

"I don't have a ride home." Giovanni answered.

* * *

_**The end.**_

* * *

***Cue credits***

**Thus concludes another story. About time, gosh darn it. There was this long waiting period where I didn't update for months because I thought it was gonna tie in with a collaboration. But that never happened. xD**

**It's cool though. All I can say is that I'm glad it's over. It was a fun ride. And I'm sorry if you were a fan of Betsy.**  
**I'd also like to take a moment to thank Yin-Yang Yo-Yo and Dr. Phil E. Sophical for catching all my stupid typos and being awesome beta readers. Never realized just how bad about that I was. xD**  
**And thus concludes your request, Beast.**

**Next fic coming up is _The Bad Habit_! Chapter one is already out! You can find it on my profile! :D **

* * *

"How does an octopus go to war?"

"Ash..."

"Well armed."

**"Aaaaash..."**

"What is the hardest part of a vegetable to eat."

"Make it stop!"

"The wheel chair."

"Ash, please!"

"What do you call a deer with no eyes."

"I'm begging you!"

"NO IDEAR!"

"Ash, I'm going to cry if you don't shut Chatot up!"

"What did the psychiatrist say when a man wearing nothing but saran wrap walked into his office?"

"AAAASSSSHHHH!"

"I can clearly see your nuts!"

...

"Okay. I guess that was kinda funny."

"At last , my challenge has been completed. :)"

"I said **kinda**."

* * *

**Not-so-secret ending.**

**For those who don't remember, Chatot made it a personal goal to find a joke May that found funny.**

**Truly the end**

**~The Shiny Gengar**


End file.
